Façades
by BurritoDude
Summary: Amu Hinamori, the ice queen. Ikuto Tsukiyomi, the lone wolf. Tadase Hotori, the player. Kukai Souma, the happy-go-lucky jock. Nadeshiko Fujisaki, the girly girl. They have one thing in common; their personalities are just a facade. AU - No Shugo Charas
1. Prologue: Façades

**A/N: Hi everyone! Welcome to Facades. This is just a short prologue chapter; the other chapters in the story are all much longer than this. (Averaging over 10 pages per chapter) The idea of the prologue is just to set up the theme of the story. I'll be doing weekly updates, updating each Saturday. Since the prologue is so short, though, I'll give you the first real chapter tomorrow. **

**Anyway, here's some information about the story. **

**Full Summary: ****Amu has come to Perth with her little sister Ami and when they hear about free dorms at Seiyo Academy, they can't pass up the opportunity to enroll. Amu doesn't want friends. She's been through some bad stuff in her life, so she shuts herself off. In order to avoid making friends she puts up an ice queen facade. But, this group of people called the guardians just don't seem to care! At every opportunity they try to become friends with Amu. This Kukai guy is pretty hot, too... oh, and that Ikuto guy. Tadase isn't bad either... What Amu doesn't know, though, is that she isn't the only one who puts on a facade... is anyone here really who they say they are? How can you learn to trust in an environment like this? Not to mention, when Amu starts working for the Easter Corporation she may be getting involved in something much darker than she could have imagined...**

****WARNINGS: This story has references to abuse, as well as some depictions of violence. It also contains some depictions of violence, as well as some coarse language. Additionally, some minor characters identify as gay or bisexual.****

**If you have a problem with any of the things mentioned above, you may as well click the back arrow at the top of your page now. Other than that, please enjoy the story!**

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><p><strong>Prologue: Fa<strong>**ç****ades**

Humans are, by nature, judgmental creatures. Sometimes, even subconsciously, we judge someone before we have even met them. Based just upon one look of them, we form our whole opinion on what the person is like, even their personality.

I mean, c'mon, think about it. There are some obvious cases; when you see someone wearing a black leather jacket, smoking while sitting on his motorbike it's pretty safe to assume he's someone you don't want to mess with. Then you have someone who's wearing a suit, carrying a brief case, and is in a hurry to get to his office. It's safe to assume he's a business man, right?

First impression. That's the phrase used to refer to judging someone based upon one look. First impressions can be wrong, though. There are two main reasons for a first impression to be wrong.

The first is that the situation is misunderstood. Say you see some man attacking a woman outside a house. The woman is screaming, begging for help. You would think the man is the aggressor right? What if that woman secretly had a knife in her pocket? What if the woman had been stalking him for days? That's an example of a situation being misunderstood.

The second reason is because the person is hiding their real personality. The person may be pretending to be someone they aren't. There can be any multitude of reasons for someone to hide their real personality.

Say you see some group of assholes laughing at you as you walk past, since you had fallen over and they had seen you. One of them calls out; saying that he hopes you had a nice trip. You immediately assume he's an asshole; possibly even worse than the other guys he's hanging around. What if he's hiding his real personality, though. He's hiding it because secretly he likes you, and he wants you to think he's tough, just like those other ones he hangs around with. This guy is known as the try-hard.

Another example. Say you see someone who's sitting on the grass in front of a tree. You see his leg is bleeding, so you politely ask him if he's hurt. He snaps at you, telling you to fuck off and that you have no right to be near him. Of course, your first impression is that he's an asshole. You walk away, hurt, knowing that you didn't deserve to be snapped at. After all, you had talked to him politely. What you don't know is that secretly the guys who had attacked him were coming back any second. He wasn't really an asshole; he was hiding his real personality. He pretended to be an asshole, so you would leave and you wouldn't be attacked too. This guy is known as the one who is caring deep down.

Last example: you politely talk to a new girl at school. She curses at you, and you decide that she's a bitch and you don't want to talk to her anymore. The girl simply acts like a bitch. Why? She's been hurt in the past. She doesn't want to show her real personality, since she's afraid that she'll be hurt again. What's she known as? I'm not sure on an absolute name. For now, though, her name can be Amu Hinamori.

You probably think, _'What a bitch, talking about someone behind their back.'_

Wrong. I am Amu Hinamori, and I admit that I am often misunderstood in first impressions. This is because I hide my outer personality. There's a name for this second reason too…

Oh, that's right. A Façade.


	2. Chapter 1: Ice Queen Chara

**A/N: Welcome to the first real chapter of Facades! This is the longest chapter in the whole story, I think. That's because it was originally two separate chapters. However, the first chapter was so freaking boring that I decided to shorten and combine it with the second chapter. Plus, the first chapter was too short. I'll give a cookie to anyone who can guess where the chapters were originally split. **

**So, apologies for the first part of the chapter. I know it's absolutely boring. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Ice Queen Chara<strong>

Amu was walking around Perth, trying to locate a more permanent housing situation. Unfortunately, she had not been having any luck at the moment. She saw a shop named Morning Glory. It was one of her favourite stores of all time! She could take a small break from house hunting, right. She ran up to the store window, only to see that the lights were off inside the store, and it was not currently open. She saw her reflection in the stores window. In her own reflection she saw how hopeful her hazel eyes were at the chance of being able to shop at morning glory. Her bubble-gum pink hair was done in a ponytail, with a red X pin holding it up.

She decided she needed to get back to house hunting anyway. She didn't exactly know what she was looking for. She was currently staying with her little sister, Ami, in a motel, as they had been for a while since they arrived in Perth. Why they had come here? That's a long story. At the moment, though, they had no parent support, meaning that Amu had to support Ami by herself. Amu had not yet found a job in Perth. She was running low on cash, and would only be able to pay for a motel for at most a week more.

Which bought her back to the current situation. She was barely able to pay for a hotel, unless she came across the most benevolent person in the world, who would _give _her a house, she doubted she would find anything. She had no way of getting a loan from the bank. The bank needed some kind of guarantee you could pay them back. What did Amu and Ami have to guarantee?

Nothing. They had nothing. The only thing they had bought to Perth was clothes, money and food. Even the food was running low. Soon, Amu would have to buy more food. That would lower her overall balance too. Maybe a week in the motel was an overestimate. She recalculated in her head, and decided that they could stay there for, at most, five days. Amu had no idea what they would do after that.

She knew that she could handle living on the street. Although she was a girl, she had done karate as well as jujitsu. She couldn't help but worry for Ami, however. Ami is only a 6 year old. There is no way Amu was going to let her be subject to such horrible experiences.

Amu had to find somewhere to live within the next 5 days. She walked around, looking for a miracle for the rest of the day until the sun started to set. There was no longer any point looking around. She headed back to the motel room.

As soon as she opened the door to the motel room she was engulfed in a hug.

"I MISHED YOU SHO MUCH SIS!" Ami yelled, looking up brightly at Amu.

Being a 6 year old, she didn't understand the severity of the situation. Amu admired that about little kids. They were always optimistic.

"I missed you too Ami," Amu said as she returned the hug, "How was your day?"

"Good! I practiced a new song for you sis!" Ami yelled enthusiastically.

"Really?" Amu asked, questioningly, "That was so quick!"

Ami was very talented at singing. Not to mention, she was what could be considered a genius. She was only 6, yet she could remember a new song within a day. After she remembered a song, she wouldn't forget it.

"I will sing it for you, but I need a microphone, of course!" Ami said, hinting at her sister.

Amu smiled at her little sister, as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a pen. Ami quickly snatched the pen before she started singing.

"_Open your shiny eyes in the silent night, a strange night has befallen you with footsteps crawling behind you, and the sluggish pose of a black cat. From the moon's light, a silhouette surfaces, beckoning with a smile to "Come here". _

_The shadow of desires starts to move into town, the appearance of a wandering angel  
>carrying something important, the fragments of love with no destination.<em>

_When you're sleepy, where do you go to see a happy dream? Kissing under the starry sky, the good girl is ready to sleep._

_Don't stare at it, don't grab it, it's just a drifting butterfly. The song of freedom from the invisible wings, are you hiding it deep within your heart?" _

Ami started to fade off. "Well, I lied! I only remembered that much. I'm sowwy sis," Ami said with a cute frown on her face.

"You're so cute! That's alright Ami. I'll need to go out again tomorrow. How about you practice the rest while I'm gone tomorrow?"

"You need to go again?" Ami looked up at her with puppy dog eyes, and a sad expression, "Please don't leave again sissy."

"I'm so sorry Ami, but I really need to. I'm going to find us a new home. And then when we find a new home, we can find a school. You want to go to school again right? You can make new friends!"

"Yesh! Thank you sissy. I wuv you sissy."

"Now, how about we have some dinner," Amu said, smiling down at Ami. Ami agreed happily, and they quickly passed the night away.

The next day of house hunting passed quickly, and Amu returned to the motel to find Ami. Ami, true to her promise, had learnt the rest of the song, as she sung it for Amu.

"Who is that sung by?" Amu asked once Ami had finished singing.

"Utau Hoshina!" Ami replied happily.

"Really? I've never heard of her before."

"She's fwom Perth! She's the new top singer!" Ami stated enthusiastically. She was very proud of herself for knowing this about her.

"Oh, really. Well it's good that you have a new singer you like."

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><p>The next day, while Amu was wandering around in hopes of finding a housing arrangement, she felt a man put a hand on her shoulder. Startled, she swung her elbow into his face as she spun around to look at him. He recoiled in pain, and Amu used the opportunity to grab his shoulders, and bring her knee into his groin. He fell to the ground in pain. She rolled him over, so he was facing the sky. She dug her foot into his stomach as she asked, "What do you want?"<p>

"I'm sorry," he coughed out.

Amu used the opportunity to take a better look at him. He looked to be a little bit over 30. He was quite tall, and quite handsome. She could feel with her foot on his stomach, that he was not toned. His face was refined and mature, with his light brown fringe resting just on his forehead. She shook her head for a second, remembering that he was a suspicious person.

"You're lost," he said. It wasn't a question, but a statement. Something about his statement got on Amu's nerves.

"I know perfectly well where I'm going," Amu replied.

"Not literally. You're metaphorically lost."

Amu was sick of listening to him, perhaps due to the truth behind his statement. She slowly lifted her foot off his stomach before driving it back in. She then quickly turned and ran. The event had spoiled Amu's mood, so she definitely didn't feel like more house hunting today, so she decided to return to the motel and spend the rest of the day with Ami.

When she arrived back at the motel, she was greeted warmly by Ami, who was surprised she was back so early. Amu decided to turn the T.V on when she saw a program named "Nobuko's Fortune Telling" came on. Amu greatly disliked fortune telling, or anything related to the supernatural. She was about to turn it off when Ami shouted "YAY! I LOVE THIS SHOW!"

Amu didn't have the heart to turn it off after that. She wasn't paying much attention to the show until it got to the part where she actually started telling fortune.

"You met someone today, didn't you? Think back to your day. You might have thought that person was weird, maybe a bit creepy. Yet, they may be your light at the end of the tunnel," Amu heard from the T.V.

'_What a joke. There's no such thing as fortune telling,' _Amu thought to herself, while she was thinking of her encounter with the brown haired man earlier today.

"YOU'RE DOUBTING ME AREN'T YOU! DO NOT DOUBT THE GREAT NOBUKO SAEKI!" The loud voice bought Amu's attention back to the T.V.

'_Wow. It's like she's talking to me.'_

"YES! I AM TALKING TO **YOU**!" The fortuneteller on the T.V boomed.

Amu chuckled nervously before changing the channel.

"Aww! I was enjoying that show," Ami whined.

Amu knew that she would need to change the subject, and fast. For that, there was one thing that would be perfect.

"Did you learn a new Hoshina Utau song, Ami?"

"YES! I DID! LET ME SING IT FOR YOU SISSY!"

'_Haha. That worked well.'_

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><p>Amu was once again house hunting the next day. Amu knew that she only had three more days to find some sort of arrangement, or she and Ami would be living on the street. Somehow, in her mindless wandering, she ended up at the same place she confronted the brown haired man yesterday. She looked at the large and luxurious building that they had fought outside. She noticed she was at the gate to the building, and she read the large sign.<p>

'Seiyo Academy'

"It's a pretty wonderful place. Its aim is to help people who aren't so fortunate," Amu heard an unknown voice state.

When Amu turned to the direction the voice came from, she saw it was the brown haired man from yesterday. Amu clenched her fist by her side, ready for a fight.

"You can unclench your fist," he stated, "What if I tell you it has free housing. Not to mention fees aren't necessary to be payed."

"What…?" Amu questioned.

"As I was saying, its aim is to help people who can't go to school otherwise. Of course, there are also well off people here. Because of that, we let people board here for free." The man could see that Amu had a questioning look on her face. "I know you might not believe me. You can go in and ask the office ladies, though. They will be happy to answer any questions you have."

The man just walked away after saying this, leaving Amu standing by the gates by herself. Realising it was a Thursday, and school would be open, Amu decided to walk through the gates and into the office. As she walked into the office, she plastered on a fake smile as she prepared façade number one: the nice girl.

"Hi, is there something I can help you with?" One of the office ladies questioned.

"Yes. Me and my young sister have recently moved to Perth, and we are eager to start school. We are, however, not so well off. We heard you have special accommodations for students like us?" Amu politely said, with a fake smile plastered on her face. Eager to start school? What a load of bullshit!

"Ahh. I see. Well, we are an academy, meaning that we offer all the way from kindergarten to year 12. May I ask how old you are at the moment?"

"I'm 16."

"I see. Well you would be year 11 then. We offer on campus living for free. There are conditions, however. You cannot bring any of your own furniture in, etc. Also, please be reminded that your living here is linked with your enrolment in school, so if for some reason you pull out of school, you must stop living here. We accommodate students no matter what they wish to do in the future; whether it be go to university, go to T.A.F.E or any other career pathway," the office lady continued politely.

"Wow, thank you so much for your assistance," Amu said politely. "Do you think it would be possible for me and my sister to enrol here?"

"Of course!"

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><p>"Guess what Ami?" Amu yelled excitedly to her little sister.<p>

"What is it, sis?" Ami looked excited, as she sensed her sister's excitement.

"I found us a new home, **and **a new school!" Amu shouted, hugging Ami as she did, "We can move into our new home tomorrow. We start school on Monday!"

"YAY! I WUV YOU SIS!" Ami yelled excitedly.

The night passed quickly as the two sisters talked. Ami talked about all the new friends she would make. Although Ami put on a tough face in front of Amu, Amu knew that she was lonely when she couldn't go to school.

After Ami had fallen asleep that night, Amu packed the few possessions they had, ready for their move into the dorms at Seiyo Academy.

The next morning, the two sisters left to walk to their new school. Although they weren't starting today, they had been told they would be able to move into their dorms today, as well as receive information and get their schedule organised.

They arrived at the front desk of the academy, and the same office lady who had served Amu yesterday escorted Amu and Ami to meet the vice principal, Mr. Jeffrey, who apparently dealt with all of this.

"Come in, come in. Sit down," Mr. Jeffrey said nicely to Amu and Ami, standing up as he did. Amu had to refrain from laughing when he stood. She didn't notice before, but she could see plain as day when he stood that he was wearing fluorescent green shorts. Mr. Jeffrey was also quite a chubby man, with only a few strands of hair. His fashion sense was certainly questionable, even without seeing the fluorescent green shorts. He was wearing an orange flowery shirt, with the top two buttons undone, exposing his hair chest.

Amu and Ami took a seat, and listened to him explain about the school. He then started to go into detail about the dorms.

"Each person has their own bedroom, that is off limit to the other people sharing the dorm unless given permission. There will be a common living, dining, kitchen and bathroom, however. Altogether, four people share these common rooms," He explained, "Also, I will give you a map of the school. I assume you will wish to walk your sister to school each day," he continued, this time directed solely at Amu, "The school is split into three main areas; Lower school, middle school and upper school. The map is self explanatory, though. And hmm. You need a dorm room with two available rooms, huh? Okay there's one available. Here's the key. It's dorm 36A. You can see how to get there from the map."

Amu kept listening as he explained about the subjects, and Amu was given the list. It didn't take Amu long to choose which subjects she wanted to do. "Thank you for all your help, Mr. Jeffrey," Amu said politely.

"Oh, it's nothing. Always a delight to have new students out our school. Oh, and I'm sorry to inform you but, your dorm mates are both on a camp until Monday, so you will be able to meet them then."

"Oh, that's fine. Thanks Mr. Jeffrey," Amu said, trying to sound disappointed. It was quite difficult when secretly she was thanking the heavens that she didn't have to meet her new dorm mates until Monday.

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><p>Monday, Amu and Ami's first real day of school came around quickly. Amu followed the map she had been given by Mr. Jeffrey, and escorted Ami to classroom 1a, where Ami had all her classes.<p>

As she arrived at class 1a, she saw a lady who must have been the teacher of the class.

"HI! I'm Ami!" Ami enthusiastically greeted the teacher, who smiled at her.

"Nice to meet you, Ami. I'm Mrs. Howlett."

"Okay, well, Ami, be a good girl. I'll come to pick you up after school finishes! Have fun in your new class, and make sure you make lots of friends," Amu told Ami, just as a mother would their child.

"I will sis! You have a good day at school too!" Ami yelled enthusiastically.

Amu left block 1, to try and find block 11, where Amu had her classes.

Now it was time for façade number 2: Ice queen.

Amu arrived at her classroom 11a where she had her first period; form class. She arrived just as the bell sounded, and she waited outside the class, for the teacher to arrive. She noticed a man who appeared to be a teacher, running towards the class. As he got close to Amu, he tripped and fell on the floor.

'_My god. Is this guy serious?' _Amu thought to herself.

From the ground, he looked up at Amu. "Hi, I'm Nikaido, and I'm your form teacher. I assume you're Amu?"

"Yeah, I am," Amu stated, still giving him a quizzical look. She wasn't sure if she should take this guy seriously or not.

"Well come on inside," he said, ushering her in. "Hello class! We have a new student, Amu Hinamori! Introduce yourself to everyone."

While Amu was standing at the front of the class, she used the opportunity to look at some of the students in the class. She noticed a guy with blue hair who looked like he was sleeping in the back corner. All the desks in the class were full, except one in the front row, near the centre. Front and centre; just the kind of seat she hated. She would rather have the back, corner seat, just like the guy that was snoozing off. The free desk was to the left of a girl with long purple hair, which flowed past her shoulders. She had brown eyes, and an extremely pretty face. To the right of the seat was a cute boy who had a baby face. He had blonde hair, in a helmet-style hairdo. He also seemed to have a natural blush. She noticed that the two of them wore a cape that not many others in the class wore. Amu knew that she had to establish her position from the get-go and so she announced, "I'm Amu. You don't need to know anything about me except that I don't want to be friends with any of you. Oh, and that it's probably not wise to fuck with me."

Everyone in the class stared at her in awe, as if questioning what they had just heard. Nikaido was speechless, and it took him a few moments to recover.

"Well, Amu. You can sit in the front row, next to Nadeshiko and Tadase," he said after he recovered.

'_Ya think? It's the only free seat in the class," _Amu thought to herself, as she swiftly walked from the front of the classroom to the seat in the front row.

"Well, class. It's time for the daily notices," Nikaido started, "As you may know, there's a sports carnival next week. Also, tomorrow there will be an assembly during form period tomorrow. That's all. You guys can do homework or whatever until next period."

"So you're Amu?" The boy, who she had heard was named Tadase, to her left, asked.

"Uhh, yeah. Didn't you hear my introduction?" Amu asked.

"Yes, I heard your introduction," Tadase stated, as Amu pulled out her timetable to see what subject she had next. She noticed it was Maths.

"So you like sport?" Tadase questioned, after seeing Physical Education as her 4th period subject.

"Can you fuck off?" Amu shouted, "Why are you talking to me when I explicitly said I don't want to make friends?"

The whole class fell silent upon hearing Amu's scream.

"Oh my god. Did she just yell at Tadase?"

"What a bitch"

"Ahh. Tadase is so hot, how can she scream at him."

Amu heard the whispers about her, and looked to see a group of girls in the back row being responsible. Amu simply glared at them, and the whispering ceased.

Amu pulled her sketchpad out of her notebook, and began sketching a picture of the front gate of the school, from her memory. While drawing, the time quickly passed by. It was getting close to time for second period when she heard her name addressed again, this time from her right side.

"Wow, you're a really good artist!" The girl, who she had heard was called Nadeshiko, stated.

"Why are you talking to me?" Amu asked, a stern look on her face.

"I want to be your friend."

"Are you fucking joking me? What is wrong with you people? Is it so hard to understand? I don't want to be a friend to **any **of you! So can you just leave me the fuck alone."

The class fell silent again; many people were surprised at Nadeshiko's bold attempt at talking to Amu, especially after she shouted at Tadase.

Unfortunately for Amu, Nadeshiko did not even bat an eyelid when Amu screamed at her. The bell, which signalled period two's start, rang, and Amu quickly stood up and, grabbing her bag, left the classroom. She contemplated wagging her next class, but she knew that she needed to stay in the good books, so that she could continue to live in the school dorms. With that, she looked at her timetable and noticed that Maths 1B was in 11b, only 1 room away from the room she was previously in. She stood at the front of the room, as everyone else took their seats. She noticed Nadeshiko also enter the class, and mentally cursed.

"Well, class. I'm sure some of you already know her, but this is Amu," The teacher, Mrs. Lim, stated. "You can sit in the front corner, next to Yaya."

Amu took her seat next to Yaya, as she noticed Yaya was quivering in fear. Amu assumed she must have been in her form class, and knew what she was capable of. Hopefully that meant she wouldn't try to bother Amu.

Nadeshiko was sitting next to Yaya, on the other side. Amu didn't think that Nadeshiko would attempt anything, though, while Yaya was in the middle. The class passed by relatively quickly. Amu had chosen the easiest maths class, but, seriously? They were doing negative numbers in year 11. At one point, Yaya needed to go to the toilet. She was probably close to wetting her pants from sitting next to Amu for most of the period.

Nadeshiko wouldn't let the opportunity go, and leaned over to talk to Amu.

"So you're in Maths 1B too, huh?" Nadeshiko questioned. She looked down at Amu's work, and saw that Amu had completed it.

"What? You finished already? You're really smart!"

Amu clenched her fist as she asked, "What do I have to do to get you to stop PISSING ME OFF?" Amu shouted the last part of the sentence, and the class fell quiet relatively quickly.

"Be my friend," Nadeshiko replied simply.

"What?"

"Be my friend."

Amu scoffed after hearing this. "I don't want to be your friend, I don't want to be anyone's fucking friend! Get that through your head."

Nadeshiko fell silent for a moment, and a boy with brown hair started walking up to Amu and Nadeshiko. As he got closer, Amu noticed he had green eyes. He had a mature face, and had diamond studs in both ears. Amu could tell just by looking he was obviously a jock.

As he got closer he scratched his head, as he held his hand out, as if requesting Amu to shake his hand. He had a goofy smile on his face.

"I'm Kukai Souma!" He greeted enthusiastically.

All he was doing was holding his hand out, but Amu could see his arm muscles. He was definitely well toned. Amu didn't know how much time had passed while she was checking him out, and she hoped no one had noticed. She looked back to his face, which didn't help, considering how hot his face was, too. Were there no flaws to this guy's body? He was so **hot**!

He moved his hand closer to Amu's face, and gestured towards his hand, indicating for her to shake it. This bought Amu back to reality. He was a hot guy, but he was trying to be her friend. Amu didn't make friends. He bought his hand closer to her face yet again. This time she swatted his hand away.

"Do all of you people need hearing aids or something? Can't you listen the first time?"

"I heard you perfectly fine," he replied, still with a goofy smile on his face.

"Then why don't you leave me alone!" Amu shouted.

"Yes, why don't you, Kukai?" A voice came from behind. It was a very short, petite girl, with beautiful wavy blonde hair flowing down to her waist. She was even more beautiful than Nadeshiko was.

"Because I'm not one of your servants that'll do whatever you say, _Rima_," He spat, with particular venom as he said her name.

This instant change in personality shocked Amu. He had been so kind when speaking to her, yet as soon as he started talking to Rima, he spoke with venom in his voice, and he looked like he could kill if necessary.

The silence spread throughout the classroom. The tension between the four could be cut with a knife. Suddenly, from the front of the classroom, a piercing screech was heard, as a girl ran her hands down the blackboard. Everyone put their hands to their ears, trying to block out the piercing sound. A beautiful girl, quite tall, stood at the front of the classroom. She had blond hair, yet a black hat covered most of it. She wore large black sunglasses on her face, which covered it. Altogether, it was a very suspicious look. Amu's experience led her to believe the appearance was to stop people from talking to her. "Can we get back to our lesson?" The girl asked, "Oh and Yaya, you may as well stop hiding outside the door and get back inside. This fight is over now."

Yaya walked back inside slowly, and took her seat next to Amu.

Mrs. Lim looked just as terrified of the situation as Yaya did.

'_Are all of the teachers at this school this incompetent?' _Amu questioned to herself.

The bell for recess came fairly quickly after that incident. Amu grabbed her bag, and quickly walked off from the maths room.

'_Finally, it's recess time. I can have a break. I'll just relax under a tree somewhere.'_

Amu walked out from block 11, and into the yard. She saw a tree in the distance, where no-one was around. She swiftly made her way over there, hoping that she would at least be able to get away with having a peaceful recess.

'_What is it with everyone at this school. Why are they so stubborn? I don't understand. Why do they all want to be friends with me? I hope Ami has made friends by now. I'm sure she will have. Ami is so likeable.'_

Amu sighed as she sat on the ground. She closed her eyes, but soon after, she was startled when she heard a voice.

"Hi Amu."

Her eyes shot open and she saw it was Tadase, who she'd sat next to in form period.

"What class do you have next?" He inquired.

"Why do you care? Why do you want to be my friend?" She snapped.

"You're lonely."

"Don't act like you fucking know me, alright?"

Tadase didn't inquire any more, and he turned and walked away.

Amu sighed in relief that she could finally relax.

It wasn't long before the bell rang, signalling the start of third period. Amu had physical education next, so she headed towards the oval. When she arrived at the oval, she saw the teacher standing there. There were a whole group of boys standing there. Amu looked amongst the students standing there and she quickly noticed something; there were absolutely no girls in this class.

"Oh, excellent. We have a girl in physical education? Hip hip hooray," the teacher, Mr. Anderson, said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Excuse me?" Amu questioned.

"Well you're lucky. We're starting a new sport today. We're doing soccer," Mr. Anderson stated.

"YES!" Kukai screamed from the pack of boys.

"Anyway, don't worry. We won't expect much from you, Amu, since you're a girl after all."

Amu scoffed at what she just heard. She couldn't believe a teacher could get away with saying things like this.

'_Calm down Amu. Remember the free dorms. Free dorms'_.

"As we will every time we start a new sport, we'll have a game this lesson so you guys can scope out each other's ability. Kukai you can be a captain, Yamada, you can be the other captain. Amu just wait until the end and you can be the leftover one."

"I'm sorry Amu! I'd pick you but I can't," Kukai yelled.

'_Pfft. I'll just have to woop these guys' asses to show that asshole teacher just what a __**girl**__ can do."_

After a minute or so, either Kukai or Yamada had chosen everyone. Yamada's team had been left with one less person, so Amu had gone to Yamada's team.

"Okay guy's team strategy meeting," Yamada called. "They have Kukai, so we have to be careful."

Amu looked at Yamada quizzically. "How good is Kukai?"

"Oh god. You don't even want to know. He is a mega jock. He is top in our school at just about every single sport," Yamada replied. "In fact, he is actually one of the top under 18 athletes in the whole state."

"Oh, wow."

"No, that's not the worst of it. Soccer is his best sport out of them all."

Upon hearing this, Amu's eyes widened. Maybe proving Mr. Anderson wrong wouldn't be as easy as she expected.

"Anyway, back to our strategy…" Yamada said, as he trailed on.

After a few minutes the teams' strategy meeting was over, and Mr. Anderson addressed the class.

"We'll play Skins vs Shirts. Obviously the team with Amu has to be Shirts, so Kukai's team you can be skins."

After hearing that, Kukai and his team mates began to take off their shirts, leaving the top half of their bodies revealed. As soon as she saw Kukai take his top off, her eyes almost popped out of their socket. He didn't have a six-pack; he had a bloody eight pack. Not to mention his pecs were so well defined, he even had a V-Line leading down into his groin. And now that he had taken his shirt off, Amu also had a better look at his biceps. He was so **hot!** This guy was seriously hotter than anyone Amu had met in her life.

Amu was too busy checking Kukai out; she didn't even hear the whistle blow to signal the start of the game. Suddenly, someone rushing towards her shook her mind back to reality. The guy rushing towards her tried to sidestep her, Amu easily anticipated his move, and tackled him. Now that she had the ball, she started running forward. None of the opposition seemed to take her seriously, they let her run pass, and just stayed on their opponents. She got met someone who actually tried to stop her. She easily faked passed him, and continued her run. Some of the skins started to pay more attention now, as they realised that Amu was actually pretty good. She just had two full backs in front of her, then the goalie. Unfortunately, Amu also sensed Kukai coming from behind. She knew this would be easier if she could finish up before Kukai had a chance to intervene. The two full backs were approaching together, making it difficult to do anything too quickly. She now didn't only have two full backs in front of her, and Kukai approaching rapidly from behind, but the two half backs, now with their brains switched on, were coming in from the sides. Her teammates just sat there and stared like dumb mallets.

"MAKE SOME FREAKING OPENINGS YOU DUMBASSES!" Amu shouted angrily.

Her teammates now registered, and attempted to make some openings. They were too slow, however. She had 5 people surrounding her now. She saw Kukai come in for the slide tackle. She reacted in a split second, and flicked the ball straight into the air above her head. She jumped at the exact right time to dodge Kukai's slide tackle. One of the halfbacks approaching from the side attempted to headbutt the ball, which was still airborne. Amu knew she didn't have much time, so quickly flipped her body, whilst still in midair, and kicked the ball straight down into the ground.

Of course, at the time, it hadn't registered that Kukai would be lying there since he had just tried to slide tackle her. The ball went flying down straight into Kukai's face. And, needless to say, Amu's kick wasn't soft.

* * *

><p>Amu had to take Kukai to the nurse's office, of course. He was completely knocked unconscious from Amu's kick. Amu was sitting by his bed in the nurse's office, waiting for him to regain consciousness. The nurse said he probably wouldn't have a concussion. Amu was glad when she heard that. She was a bitch, but that didn't mean she purposely gave people concussions.<p>

Kukai was still only half clothed while he was lying in the nurse's office. Amu had more time to stare at his hot body, especially since he was unconscious. Amu thought about what Yamada had said during their strategy meeting. He was one of the top under 18 athletes in the country. Judging by that, he was obviously good enough to play for a state team, if not national. Why did he settle for just playing for a school team?

Then, suddenly, some words came to her mind. "Its aim is to help people who aren't so fortunate". That's what the brown haired man had told her about Seiyo Academy. Maybe Kukai wasn't so fortunate? Amu decided not to dwell on the issue any longer. Since when did other people's issues concern her?

"You're staring again," Kukai said.

Amu jumped when she heard him talk, unaware that he was awake.

"I was not staring!"

"Oh? I guess you weren't staring when we started the soccer game either?" He asked. He had a playful tone in his voice.

"That's right. I mean your body's** okay**. Don't flatter yourself."

"Ohh. So you were just not paying attention to anyone who was talking to you, while your eyes happened to be looking right at my abs. Is that right?"

"Yes, that's right. Wait – no. That's wrong. I was just… umm… I was just thinking how tan is like even amongst your whole body."

"Oh, you like my tan?" He asked, playful tone still in his voice.

"Grr. I'm just gonna shut my mouth now," Amu said, embarrassed by what she had said.

"Just think about how I'll let you stare all day long if you become my friend."

That statement snapped Amu back to reality. That was right. This guy was trying to become friends with her. Amu doesn't make friends. What was she doing, laughing and joking with this guy.

Kukai noticed the sudden change in her facial expression.

"I guess you don't want to be friends," he had a sad look on his face. Amu could tell it was a genuine sad look.

"No, I'm not interested in having friends."

"Why? Don't you get lonely? You don't have to be my friend, but… everyone needs someone. At least tell me you have someone?"

As soon as he said this, Ami came to mind. Was it sad that her little 6-year-old sister was her best friend? Other people may think it's sad. 6 Year olds don't betray you though, not like adults do. That's why 6 year olds can be trusted.

"Yes. I have someone. My little sister is my best friend. She's 6 years old, but she's been there with me through everything."

"You have siblings that you love. That's so nice. I wish I had siblings," Kukai said, a contemplative look on his face.

"Well, since you're feeling better, can I go now?" Amu asked.

"Yeah, just one question," Kukai said, unsure of himself.

"What is it?" Amu asked.

"You didn't do it on purpose right?"

"What?"

"You didn't kick the ball into me on purpose right?"

Amu couldn't help but crack up when she heard Kukai ask that question, sounding as timid as a girl. The fact he had the manliest body Amu had ever seen probably amplified the hilarity of the situation.

"No, I know I'm a bitch, but that doesn't mean I go kick balls into people's face on purpose."

"Oh thank god," he said, sounding so relieved.

"What?" Amu said, still laughing.

"Well, that means there's still some hope."

"Some hope for what?" Amu questioned, unsure of what Kukai was saying.

"That we can be friends of course! As long as you're not attacking me yet, I'll consider there to be some hope," he said, smiling.

Amu couldn't help but start laughing. She wondered, even though they definitely weren't friends, if this was possibly how it felt to have a friend. Her chest felt warm, and her heart pounded as she talked to Kukai.

Amu turned to leave the nurse's office, when she heard Kukai yell "WAIT!"

"Actually, you know, since you injured me, you're responsible for helping me to my next class. You know that right?" he told her.

"What, you didn't injure your foot at all, though."

"Oh, how do you know that?" he questioned.

"Well, the ball hit you in the head, not the foot, obviously."

"Well how about this. If you massage my foot better, you can get out of taking me to class. Which one do you choose?" he asked, a playful tone in his voice again.

Amu sighed, "C'mon get up then. I'll walk you to class."

Kukai slowly stood up, and pretended his foot was hurt, so he collapsed onto Amu. Amu had not been prepared for him to fall on her, so Amu, too, towards the ground. Before they knew it, Kukai was lying on top of Amu, with his shirt still off. His face was just inches away from hers. Amu could feel his warm breath on her lips. Her heart was pounding at what seemed like a million beats per second.

Suddenly, Amu heard the door to the nurse's office open. Kukai quickly got off Amu, and smiled at whoever was standing at the door. Amu looked up, and couldn't help but groan. That was perhaps the worst person to find them in a position like that, Nadeshiko.

"I'm sorry, was I interrupting something?" Nadeshiko asked politely.

"Nah, not really," Kukai said with a goofy smile on his face, "Amu knocked me unconscious during physical education. She was taking care of me, and was gonna help take me to the next class."

"Oh, that totally explains why you were making out on the floor," Nadeshiko said playfully.

Amu hadn't noticed before, but Kukai and Nadeshiko were obviously friends.

"No, we weren't making out, nothing was going on!" Amu said adamantly. She didn't want it to seem like she was becoming friends with people.

"Don't worry Amu, I'm just joking. I already know about what happened, I came to help Kukai to his next class, since I have dance with him next."

"Aww damn it, Nadeshiko. I was having fun with Amu," Kukai said, whining.

"We most certainly were not 'having fun' as you put it," Amu said, trying to sound harsh. It was hard, though, when Kukai had such a cute whiny voice that was the total opposite of his smoking hot manly body.

"Haha, sorry Kukai, maybe next time. We have to go to dance now, we have to practice for the performance tomorrow," Nadeshiko told him.

"Oh, you do dance Kukai?" Amu asked, shocked.

"Yeah, I do. Surprised 'cause I'm such a manly guy and I do dance?" he asked teasingly.

"Well, quite frankly, yes. You seem like you hold the same values as Mr. Anderson," Amu said, thinking about what Mr. Anderson had said about females.

"Oh please, don't think I'm anything like him. I think people should be able to do whatever they want, no matter what gender they are. Who cares if you're a boy and you like dance? Who cares if you're a girl and you like sport?" Kukai said, taking a pause before continuing, "People that think like that really piss me off. You know, if someone were to kick someone like that in the balls, I would turn a blind eye. Actually, no I wouldn't turn a blind eye. I would cheer them on," Kukai continued, hinting at Amu.

"Oh my god! You totally knew what I was thinking!" Amu said, laughing.

"Okay, lover couple, we **really **need to go now," Nadeshiko said, as she dragged Kukai off, grabbing Kukai's bag on the way out. "Bye Amu!" She shouted as she left the Nurse's office.

"Bye Amu! Remember that I won't give up on being your friend!" Kukai shouted.

Amu watched, stunned as the two of them left. As she was walking to her next class, sewing, she thought about everything that had happened in the nurse's office.

'_Oh god, I left myself __**way **__too open. I was laughing with him, having fun. We almost kissed! WE ALMOST KISSED! I am no longer going to talk to Kukai.' _Amu mentally scolded herself. She arrived at her sewing class. She looked around, and was glad to see no one that bugged her. In fact, the only one she recognised in the class was the petite, blonde girl who had got into a fight with Kukai during maths. From what Amu had observed during maths, that girl seemed to be on Amu's side.

At the start of sewing class, the teacher told Amu that the class got an assignment last week that was due in on Wednesday. The teacher told Amu it was fine if she didn't finish it, since she didn't have as much time as everyone else in the class did. The task was to design a pillow. The design sketch had to include the sewing techniques used to sew the pillow, etc. They then had to actually produce the pillow they had designed. To Amu, this was a piece of cake.

Amu was extremely skilled at sewing. She and her sister didn't have the luxury to go out and buy new clothes when old ones got ripped, or when they were outgrown. Due to this, Amu learnt to sew. They reused all their old clothes.

Amu completed the designs within 10 minutes. She managed to sew the pillow from scratch in about 20 minutes. It was only half way into the lesson, yet she had already finished the assignment. When she showed it to her sewing teacher, her sewing teacher was amazed. She gave free time, where she could sew whatever she wanted. Amu started to sew a small teddy for Ami.

The bell rang, and it was time for lunch. Amu actually enjoyed sewing class, and was not looking forward to lunch. Lunch meant she would have to deal with Tadase, Nadeshiko and Kukai or possibly all three. Amu thought about where she could go to get away from them. Suddenly, a brilliant thought came to her mind. The library. Amu never went to the library, and no one would ever expect her to go to the library. Amu made sure that no one saw her as she entered the library. She headed to one of the very corners of the library, and she noticed a beanbag sitting in the corner. The corner was just behind a shelf, and the shelf was empty, too. This place seemed like the perfect spot. No one would come here, and it even had a beanbag.

It was as if it was made for her.

"You're in my corner," A voice interrupted her thoughts.

Amu looked up to see a male standing above her. He had midnight blue hair, which fell in front of his face. His hair matched his eyes, which were a dark blue. His face was handsome and refined. He looked mature beyond his ages. Her eyes travelled further south, as she noticed he wasn't wearing his school uniform. Instead, he was wearing a tight black shirt. The shirt clung to his chest, revealing his abs. Oh god. This guy was **hot**. Although his abs weren't as good as Kukai's of course, Amu thought. Then Kukai came in her mind, and she slowly started to compare his body to Kukai's.

"I know I have a nice body, but didn't you ever hear it's rude to stare. And you're still in my corner."

His voice snapped Amu out of her trance. It took Amu a few seconds to register what he had said.

"I wasn't checking you out!" Amu shouted.

"I never said you were; what led you to think I thought you were checking me out?" He questioned playfully.

Amu sat, thinking of a comeback. Unable to think of an intelligent one in time, she tried shouting again, "I was—"

Her voice was cut off as he put his hand over her mouth. He sat on the beanbag as he easily lifted her onto his lap. He pulled his mouth close to her ear.

"This is a library, no shouting," he whispered as his hot breath blew on her ear. "Now calm down and let's talk normally. No shouting. If you shout you'll get us both kicked out of the library."

He let go of Amu's mouth, and Amu calmed herself down. Well, sort of… More like she wasn't so angry now, but, rather, her heart was pounding. Her ears were her weak spot. His hot breath blowing on them was driving her crazy. Unable to take it any longer, she leapt off the beanbag, and sat in front of him on the floor.

"Well, first of all, I wasn't checking you out," Amu begun, "And secondly: why is this your corner?"

"I'm **sure **you weren't checking me out. You just happened to zone out while looking at my abs, is that right?" He asked sarcastically, "And in answer to your second question. I've come here for two years to get away from everyone, and no-one has ever come to my corner."

"I didn't—" Amu began shouting when the boy covered her mouth again.

He leaned in close to her ear, and started breathing on it again. Amu realised that he had realised it was her weak spot.

"How about we share the corner, and this beanbag. You can sit on my lap," he whispered seductively as he leaned in close to her, his hot breath still on her ear.

Amu was focusing on not losing all self-control she had. "Sure," she muttered, not thinking about what she said, just trying to get him away from her ear.

"Oh, really?" He asked, a smirk on his face now.

"Wait… that's not what I meant," Amu said. His breath was still on her ear, making it difficult for her to think straight.

"C'mon. We both aren't gonna give up the corner. The only solution is to share it," he reasoned.

"Okay we can share," Amu said, "but you need to sit on the floor."

"Fine then, _Amu_," He made his voice especially husky and sexy as he whispered her name into her ear. She almost lost all control when she heard this. Luckily, at that moment, the bell rang for next class, and he slowly backed off.

'_Saved by the bell'_ Amu thought to herself. The boy got up and started heading out of the library. Amu followed afterwards. _'How did he know my name, though?'_

Amu thought about it for a moment, but realised she needed to head towards her next class, Food science and technology, or she would be late. Food science and technology was just a theory lesson, about the different cake making methods, and what each one is used for. Amu stayed as far away from Nadeshiko as possible. Luckily, Rima happened to sit next to her. There was obvious tension between Nadeshiko and Rima, and sitting next to Rima was like a protection from Nadeshiko. The period passed fairly quickly, and it came to the last period of the day, visual arts. Luckily, the only people Amu recognised in the class were Rima and Yaya, both of which didn't annoy her. Amu received a project late, in which they were to do still life drawings of pictures of animals that the teacher provided. This proved easy to Amu, and she managed to draw multiple within a period. The teacher was very impressed with her work.

Before long, the bell rang which signalled the end of the day. Amu made her way to block 1, to pick up Ami. As she walked back to the dorms with Ami, she was being told about how wonderful Ami's day was. She made lots of new friends, and one of her friends even likes Hoshina Utau too. Amu and Ami arrived back at their dorm. Amu put her key in the door, when she realised it was already unlocked. Then she remembered what Mr. Jeffrey had told her last Thursday.

Her roommates would be coming back today. She opened the door to see two people watching T.V in the living room.

"Welcome to our dorm, Amu!" She heard a voice welcome her happily.

Amu had a horrified look on her face when she recognised the two occupants of her dorm.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hope you enjoyed the chapter! If so, please drop in a review and tell me why. If not, please drop in a review and tell me why. xD**

**Special thanks to CrossAngel-Chan. My first reviewer for the story. :)**


	3. Chapter 2: Promiscuous Chara

**Disclaimer: I do not own Black Diamond by Nana Mizuki or Oh by Girls' Generation. The lyrics in this chapter are english translations of the original Japanese/Korean respectively. Credits for the translations go to szuir18 and wonderfulgeneration respectively. Now, onto chapter 2!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2: Promiscuous Chara<strong>

Amu was horrified to see that her two dorm mates were none other than Nadeshiko and Yaya.

Amu knew she couldn't curse while Ami was standing right next to her.

"I'm delighted that it's you two that I get to be rooming with. It's such a pleasure," Amu said, a fake smile plastered on her face.

"SISSY! Did you make new fwends too?" Ami asked.

"Yes, she did. We're Amu's new friends," Nadeshiko answered, before Amu had a chance to respond.

"Yay! Can we watch T.V together with your fwends sissy? We haven't had friends over for a long time," Ami begged her elder sister.

"Fine then…" Amu told her little sister. She made sure, though, that when she sat down, Ami was in the middle of her and Nadeshiko.

The four of them watched T.V together, talking all the while. Amu got to understand Yaya's personality a bit more. She appeared to have the same mental age as Ami did. Yaya and Ami had so many common interests, if you hadn't known the difference in appearance; you would think they were the same age.

"SISSY! Should I sing for them?" Ami asked, excited about the prospect of singing.

"Yes! You should! I'm sure they will like it," Amu said, smiling. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a pen, which she gave to Ami to use as a microphone.

_Tell me your greatest desire. The person you desire. With strength strong enough to shake down the volume, try shouting with a loud voice. _

_Before the sun rises, the new starting day dances with a shadow following the light. Yes, your hands can take it._

_So, what is it that you desire? What is it you seek? The assembled radiance in those hands, from the disgraced sky, they'll scoop up the dark diamond, the black diamond._

Nadeshiko and Yaya were shocked as they heard her sing. It's understandable; there are not many 6 year olds that can sing like Ami can.

"You're really good!" Nadeshiko told her.

"Yeah! You're good!" Yaya repeated.

"Anyway, I have homework to do," Nadeshiko said.

Yaya pouted, "Me too. I hate homework."

"Okay!" Ami said happily and the two of them bid goodbye to the two sisters before heading to their bedrooms.

Amu and Ami passed the night together easily. Nadeshiko came out for dinner just after Amu and Ami had finished theirs, so there was little communication between them. Amu, noticed, though after she finished making her dinner, that there was little food left. Amu also did not have any money left. She needed to get another part time job soon.

As she drifted off to sleep, she pondered what type of jobs she would be able to find within Perth. She decided that tomorrow after school she would need to go job hunting. She didn't think about it for long, though, as sleep quickly overcame her. She had, after all, had a very long day.

* * *

><p>Amu awoke, and wandered out in the living room. She was not even sure if she had food to make Ami some breakfast. Just as she wandered out, Ami wandered out of her room too. Ami smelled pancakes being made. They both looked towards the kitchen. Ami saw Nadeshiko making pancakes.<p>

"Are we having pancakes for breakfast?" Ami asked excitedly

"Umm… Ami—" Amu began, however, she was cut off by Nadeshiko.

"Yes, of course we are having pancakes for breakfast Ami!"

Yaya added in too, "Nadeshiko's pancakes are very yummy!"

"So how many would you like Ami?" Nadeshiko asked.

"Two please!" Ami yelled cutely.

Amu sighed; she didn't have a chance to interrupt at all.

"What about you, Amu?" Nadeshiko asked.

"I don't eat breakfast," Amu replied.

"Is that because you don't want to, or that you can't?

"I just don't, okay?" Amu replied angrily, ending the conversation.

Minutes later, however, Nadeshiko starts talking again, "Feel free to use food from the top shelves whenever you want. That's all my food, and I don't mind if you use it."

"No thank you," Amu knew what Nadeshiko was planning. She wanted Amu to be indebted to her, and then she would use some intricate plot to get Amu to become friends with her. Well, Amu definitely wouldn't allow that to happen. She needed to find part time work after school today.

After they finished eating breakfast, the four of them went to their respective rooms and got ready for school. Amu and Ami finished getting ready and came out with about 20 minutes until they had to leave.

Nadeshiko and Yaya, however, were leaving already. Amu didn't really care why they were leaving, but Ami asked.

"We have to help set up something for a special event. We will see you tonight, okay Ami?" Nadeshiko told her.

"Yesh! I wuv you Nadeshiko!" Ami yelled excitedly.

Amu inwardly groaned. When your sister loves someone you hate, it's hard to blatantly avoid them. This would just make it harder for Amu. And of course, Amu knew that Nadeshiko wasn't going to let this chance go down the drain.

When school time came, Amu walked Ami to class before heading to her own form class. Nikaido announced that they would be having an assembly first period, as he had told the class yesterday. Apparently the assemblies were done in groups. The lower school had separate assemblies to middle school, which are separate to upper school. Amu had sort of recalled hearing something like that. Each student took their chairs and headed down to the auditorium. They sat in their form group. Amu noticed the blue haired boy from the library sitting in their row.

That recalled her memory; she had vaguely recalled seeing him first period yesterday. He was asleep while she was giving her introduction. She had been jealous that he had the back corner seat. Suddenly, she heard a voice from the front requesting for the students to be quiet. She quickly looked to the front and saw Tadase standing at the front speaking into a microphone.

"As you all know, I'm Tadase, King's Chair of the student council. As always, let me introduce my partners: Nadeshiko the Queen's Chair, Kukai the Jack's Chair and Yaya, the Ace's Chair. We will conduct the assembly. First, please stand as we sing the national anthem."

Amu was shocked, to say the least, when she saw who the student council were. Why were they were all year 11's, rather than year 12's? The fact that they were all student council also contributed to how close friends they are. It made more sense to Amu now. Also, Amu understood why they were the only students who wore the funny cape. After the national anthem finished, everyone sat back in their seats, and Tadase spoke into the microphone again.

"Kukai will be the first to speak to the assembly today," Tadase said before walking back to his seat, as Kukai stood and took to the microphone.  
>"Yo everyone! You guys know I'm not the type of guy for this fancy business. I just wanna tell you guys about the sports carnival coming up next week. It's taking place next Monday, and will run for the whole day," Kukai started. His informal manner of speech didn't surprise Amu. "Everyone is required to participate in at least one event, however, you can participate in as many as you wish to! Also, the cheerleading squad is requesting more participants. I hope to see everyone try their best! Nadeshiko'll be talking to you guys now."<p>

"Hello everyone," Nadeshiko started politely, "I want to address the issue of the school talent competition. It is happening in two weeks time from now. We encourage everyone to enter! Your talent can be anything from singing and dancing to comedy. Many of you also know, though, that I am captain of the dance club at our school. Our dance club this year is going very strong. Unfortunately, last year we could not enter the state wide competition due to an emergency cancellation. This year, however, we hope to enter the competition. Later on this assembly, we have a performance that we hope you enjoy. However, for now, I will invite our principal, Tsukasa, to address the assembly."

Amu saw a many walk to the stage from the front row of seats. Amu gasped when she saw who the principal was. It was the brown haired man who she had met outside the gates of the school, the one who convinced her to come to Seiyo Academy. He appeared to be only about 30 years old. For him to be the principal was a shock to Amu. Not to mention, he was handsome! Now that Amu saw him again, she couldn't help but notice the remarking resemblance between him and Tadase. He looked just like an older version of Tadase. His face was just more mature, his hair darker, and he was taller.

Amu blushed slightly and shook her head before mentally scolding herself for checking out the principal of her school. He finished talking relatively quickly, considering he was a principal. Most principals like to blab on a lot. He said at each assembly they give one award to the hardest working student for each year group. Amu didn't pay much attention to the year 9 or 10 awards. She payed attention, though, when it got to year 11.

"The award for year 11 goes to… Kairi Sanjo! Congratulations!" The principal announced.

'_Never heard of him'_ Amu thought to herself. She noticed him getting up to get the award. His hair was of a similar style to Tadase's, yet he didn't have a fringe. His hair was dark brown, bordering on black. Amu could see he had sharp blue eyes behind his glasses. He had his shirt buttoned up all the way to the top. He was a typical nerd.

After the awards finished, she noticed a pair of people moving the microphone and stand to the side. Suddenly, the lights darkened in the auditorium. Kukai walked out from the auditorium doors, without a shirt on. All he wore were green dress pants. Girl's screams were heard throughout the auditorium as he walked out. It was understandable, he was **so hot**. Kukai appeared to be looking for something. After a few seconds, though, he shrugged and turned to leave the auditorium. Suddenly, music started. It was a fast and upbeat. All the girls of the dance club suddenly came rushing through the auditorium doors, pushing Kukai back into the auditorium on the way, just as the lyrics started. The girls were all wearing cheerleader outfits.

_I'm not the person you knew before, brand new sound. With the new me one more round. Dance dance dance till we run this town, Oppa oppa I'll be I'll be down down down down_

The girls danced as the lyrics started. Nadeshiko was front and centre of the dance. Amu could see why she was put as the lead dancer. Her movements were almost mesmerising. She managed to sway her hips the right way.

_Hey oppa look at me, just take a look at me. It's the first time I've spoken like this, I fixed my hair and put on make-up too. Why do you only not notice me?_

The girls now danced with Kukai in the middle of their choreography. Kukai looked confused as they all danced around him.

_Thump thump, my heart is beating. I just continue imagining. What should I do, having been so proud? I just want to tell you. Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oppa, I love you. Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! A lot, a lot. It's embarrassing so don't laugh. It's the truth so don't make fun either. I'm just saying stupid things again_

Just as the first line of the chorus started, Kukai started dancing. Amu had to try and stop herself from laughing. It looked a bit ridiculous seeing one of the manliest guys she knew dancing such a girly dance. Yet, when she looked closer, he was actually a very talented dancer. He was more talented at dancing this than most of the females were.

_I'm not the person you knew before, brand new sound. With the new me one more round. Dance dance dance till we run this town. Oppa oppa, I'll be I'll be down down down down. __Oppa, just listen to me. Stop saying other things. Don't think of me just as a younger sister you'll regret after a year_

As the chorus finished, Nadeshiko pushed Kukai, and Kukai stopped dancing. Nadeshiko went to the back of the group now, and Yaya came to the front of all the girls.

_You don't know my thoughts at all; you don't realize and just joke around. What should I do, you immature person? Just listen to me_

At the last line, just as it led into the chorus, Nadeshiko linked her arm with Kukai as girls all parted to one side. The two of them skipped to the front of the group. _  
><em>

_Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oppa, I love you. Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! A lot, a lot. It's embarrassing so don't laugh. It's the truth so don't make fun either. If you do that again, I might just cry_

As the chorus started again, all the girls kneeled to the ground, and Nadeshiko and Kukai had a duo dance. The danced the whole chorus with their arms still linked.

I'm not the person you knew before, brand new sound. Something about my heart is different today. Down down, don't put it off, I just get mad. Oppa oppa, if you keep this up, no no no no

_Tell me boy boy love it it it it it it it ah!_

As the line started, the girls got up and surrounded Nadeshiko and Kukai, who still had their arms linked. The group all walked forward in sync, swaying their hips as they did.

_Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oppa, I love you_. _Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! A lot, a lot. __Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oppa, I love you. __Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! A lot, a lot_

Each of the girls broke apart from the group, left to right, before kneeling on the ground and posing. Kukai and Nadeshiko remainded standing.

As the dance finished, huge applause was heard throughout the auditorium. Amu was shocked at how well the group danced, especially Nadeshiko and Kukai.

Soon, Nadeshiko came to the microphone with Kukai.

"Thanks everyone for watching our performance, this is one of our songs we are considering using in the state wide competition. Tell us if you liked it or not!"

A scream of 'yes' was heard throughout the auditorium as the dancers all filed out through the auditorium door. Tadase came back to the microphone.

"This assembly is now over. Please follow the direction of your teachers, and head to your second period class. Please do not forget to take your chairs with you."

Amu assumed that people ignore the "follow the direction of your teachers", as after Tadase said that, everyone started filing out of the auditorium, without any sense of order.

Amu had visual arts second period. It passed by quickly. Before long the lesson was over and Amu was headed towards her third period class; physical education.

She hoped today she would have a better lesson than she did yesterday, where she spent most of the lesson in the nurse's office. She remembered about when Kukai fell on top of her.

'_God! Snap out of it Amu. Forget about Kukai. Don't talk to Kukai."_

She was snapped out of her thoughts, though, when Kukai ran up to her.

"Amu! Did you like my dance?" He asked, his goofy grin present on his face.

Amu turned to face him, a scowl on her face. "Don't talk to me so friendly. We're not friends, you know?" She told him.

Amu could see the hurt on Kukai's face when she told him that. Although she had told him the same thing yesterday, she had venom in her words today. _'That's right Amu, this is the way it's supposed to be.'_

"I guess not?" Kukai said sadly, "I promise I'll dance better next time! Just give me another chance Amu," he said with a pout on his face.

He looked so cute Amu almost melted. _'Stay strong Amu. There's a reason you don't make friends, remember…' _Suddenly, Amu's mind flashed back to that night. She felt dizzy just from the memory of what happened. Her eyesight had gone blank, and the last thing she could hear was Kukai screaming "Amu! Amu!" before her hearing went blank too. She felt her consciousness fade, as she fell towards the ground.

* * *

><p>When Amu awoke, she was in the nurse's office. As she opened her eyes, she couldn't quite see clearly at first. She could make out a figure.<p>

"Dad?" She questioned. She blinked and her vision cleared. Her state of mind came back to normal too. She saw that leaning over here was Kukai.

"Sorry, not your dad. We can never seem to catch a break can we? Yesterday it was me, now it's you," he said.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry I just called you dad. I wasn't thinking straight, I only just woke up from being unconscious, you know. I once read there's this phase, just before your consciousness fades, and just before you fully regain consciousness, where you don't think properly. I must have been in that phase, I'm sorry," Amu said very quickly, rambling on.

"I don't mind. I would be happy to be your dad. That would mean you love me!" Kukai said with his trademark goofy grin.

"No… my dad doesn't love me, and I don't love him," Amu said harshly, thinking of past events.

'_Yes, remember Amu. The reason why I've become like this. People can't be trusted' _Amu thought to herself, scolding herself for acting so friendly around him.

"I'm sorry; did I bring up bad memories?" Kukai asked sadly.

"It's alright. It's all in the past. Now, you can leave. I really don't need a stranger being friendly to me," Amu said harshly.

Pain was evident on Kukai's face. "Stranger, huh? You won't even settle for acquaintance?"

"No. I don't need friends. I don't need acquaintances. I'm not such a weak girl I'm gonna whine just because I fainted."

"I see. I'm sorry I bothered you," Kukai said sadly, as he left the nurse's office.

After he walked out, Amu felt pain in her chest. _'It's alright, Amu. You've lived like this for a long time now. You'll be okay.' _

Amu attempted to stand, as she noted it was almost time for her next class. She had double sewing next two periods. On the plus side, she noted, she had skipped recess, meaning she didn't have the blue haired boy bothering her. As she attempted to stand, she felt a bit dizzy again.

"It would be advisable to sit back down," came a voice from beside Amu. Amu looked over to see Tadase there. "I've had quite a lot of experience with people who are prone to dizziness, and I can tell you're still feeling dizzy. That's why it would be wise to sit back down. If you faint again, it will just increase the recovery time."

Unfortunately, Amu knew he was right, and so, she sat back on the bed.

"And wow, never knew you were such a heartbreaker," Tadase told her, "You can tell Kukai really likes you, right?"

"Of course. I'm like the new toy in the toy box. When you first arrive, everyone's eager to play with you and have you. After your used and worn out, though, you're tossed away. You're on the same level as everyone else," Amu stated harshly.

"Is that what you think of Kukai?" Tadase asked calmly.

"Yes. That's how I think of everyone."

"Well, you must be one of the worst judges of character I've ever met in my life," Tadase started, "I've been best friends with Kukai since elementary school. He is definitely not like that. In fact, of everyone in this school, if you had to choose one person to be friends with, he would be the one to choose. Kukai is honestly one of the sweetest guys around."

"Hmph. Say whatever you want. He'd probably say the same thing about you. You all just support each other, to play with me together. Then you all chuck me out at the same time. The pain is much greater that way."

"Hahaha… I'll admit. I'm a heartbreaker. You know I've said no to 10 girls who have asked me out this year already," Tadase told her.

"What? It's only half way through 1st term."

"Yeah, I told you. I'm a heartbreaker. I'm not proud of it. That's the way I am, though. Kukai is not like that, though. If you don't want to be friends with me, I understand. But really, treating Kukai like that. It pisses me off, quite frankly."

"I can treat people however I want, now can you stop annoying me?" Amu asked harshly.

"Well, whatever. Just saying. You know you'll get lonely. You can't go for two years without having any friends, you know."

"Pfft. Two years is nothing. I've done it for the past 5 years of my life. And I told you to stop pissing me off, so can you just shut the hell up?"

"Sure. I'll be quiet. First of all, I need to make sure you're okay, though," he started to tell Amu, "You know you should eat more. I can tell that the reason you fainted is you have been malnourished recently."

"I said shut up!" Amu spat harshly. She knew she hadn't been eating properly. That was why she needed to find a part time job.

Silence reigned throughout the Nurse's office. By the end of the first period, Amu was feeling better. She decided she would attend the 2nd period of sewing. Sewing flew by relatively quickly. Amu managed to finish making her gift for Ami. The bell rang and lunch came.

Amu was heading through the halls of block 11 when she heard some girls gossiping.

"God, she's such a bitch."

"She acts like an ice queen just to attract attention"

"I know right."

"Then secretly, she's trying to play Tadase and Kukai at the same time!"

"And they're best friends too!"

"She's probably trying to make them have a fight."

"Wouldn't surprise me."

"Why did she come to this school anyway?"

Amu walked right up to the girls. She glared at all 3 of them in the eyes. Each of them cowered in fear. "Who started that rumour?"

"What rumor?" one of the girl's asked timidly.

"That I'm playing Tadase and Kukai at the same time."

"Oh. I'm not sure—please don't hurt us," the girls begged timidly.

"Pfft. You're not worth my effort. You tell whoever started the fucking rumour that I wouldn't waste my time with guys like them."

Amu walked away from the gossiping girls, and continued heading down the hall. As she got out of block 11 and started heading towards the library she heard some more girls talking. This time, it wasn't about her, so she didn't really care. She just couldn't help but overhear since the girl's voices were like an elephant stampede. I mean, really, if you're going to gossip, can't you at least do it right?

"Ikuto's such a loner."

"It's such a pity! He's so hot."

"I would totally bang that."

"I still think Kukai is better."

"No way! Tadase is the best!"

Amu walked past quickly, wanting to get away from the bitchiness of all of these girls. Amu arrived in the library, and she headed into her little corner. She saw that the blue haired boy was already waiting, sitting on the beanbag.

"I told you the beanbag is mine," Amu stated.

"Mmm… why don't you sit with me?" he asked seductively.

"Pfft… please, why would I want to?" Amu scoffed.

"So you can stare at my abs more?" Amu did not have a rebuttal for this comment, as she sat on the floor next to the beanbag.

"How did you know my name yesterday?" Amu questioned suspiciously.

"Well, I am in your form class. Oh, and by the way. You act really differently when we're alone to when you're with everyone else. Perhaps… you put up a façade?"

Amu immediately stiffened when she heard him say this. She thought back to her encounter with him yesterday. She had let her guard down, and he had swooped in on the chance. This boy was more dangerous than she had realised. He had known of her icy exterior, yet had been able to easily get her to lower it.

"How about I even the playing field?" He asked, breaking Amu out of her thoughts. Amu was unsure what he meant by this comment, so, simply looked at him dumbly. "I'm Ikuto."

Amu's thoughts went back to the gossiping girls she had walked past on the way to the library. They had said Ikuto was a loner. She then remembered what he had said when she first came into the library; he had been using this corner to escape from people for the past two years of his life.

"Well, you didn't seem like much of a loner yourself," she rebutted.

He started laughing. Amu looked at him questioningly. "I didn't think you'd be the type to listen to idle gossip spoken by unintelligent bimbos."

Amu had laughed when she heard this, before she realised that he had totally avoided her statement. "You didn't answer me properly."

He started laughing, "I guess I let my real personality show?"

"Why are you a loner?" Amu questioned, "I'll admit; you're hot. You could be popular if you weren't a loner."

"I could ask you the exact same question," he said simply.

The two sat in silence after his statement. Amu reached into her bag and got out her lunch.

"You know you aren't supposed to eat in the library?"

Amu ignored his mix between a statement and a question, as she opened her lunch box and started eating a bit of fish. As she took a bit, she saw Ikuto staring at her, as if she was a goddess.

"I won't tell if you give me a piece of fish," Ikuto almost begged as his mouth watered. Amu decided to humour him, and broke off a piece of fish to give to him. He devoured it in less than a second.

Amu started cracking up as she saw this. He had been weakened so easily just by a piece of fish.

"I love fish so much. It's my second biggest weakness, only after my ears. Just like your ears," he told her.

Amu blushed, knowing for sure that he knew her weakness. Luckily, the bell rang, and Amu got up to leave for her fifth period class, Food science and technology.

When she arrived in class, she was informed that they would be doing a practical today, making upside down cupcakes. This would be a cinch for Amu; after all, she had been making food for Ami for a long time. She was told that they were put in pairs for practicals. This led her to examine her classmates more closely than she had previously. The class was made up entirely of girls. Amu noticed everyone pairing off; it seemed that everyone had prearranged pairs. Nadeshiko was paired with Yaya. Luckily for Amu, they were on the opposite side of the room; which meant Amu would not have to deal with them for the duration of the lesson. The only person who did not have a partner was Rima.

Rima walked over to Amu before saying, "I've been told I'm your new partner for practical."

Amu decided to interrupt, "Let me get one thing straight. I'm not interested in being your friend. Any talk we do is only if it is necessary to completing the assigned task. Got it?"

Rima laughed before saying, "Glad we're in agreement."

Amu had managed to zoom through much of the recipe. She noticed when she gave Rima a job, it took Rima a long time to do it. She could tell that Rima was not very skilled nor experienced at cooking. Amu's experience easily made up for her fall down, though.

They had finished with much time to spare.

"Thanks," Rima said softly, "All of the females at this school hate me, and I can't cook properly by myself."

Amu smiled, but replied, "I told you, no socialising."

The two sat in silence, writing a reflection on their practical. Like that, the day ended quickly, and Amu picked Ami up. As the two were walking back, Amu saw the principal approaching her.

"I'm glad to see you came to our school," he told her.

The two chatted for a while, discussing Amu's school life so far. Amu told a few lies. The principal seemed to know she was lying, but did not question her.

"So… have you decided what afterschool club you're going to join?" He asked.

"Actually, unfortunately I don't think I will be able to attend an afterschool club. Unfortunately, in order to support Ami, I need to work. I am going to be looking for a job today."

He started laughing, "I guess no-one told you? Joining an afterschool club is compulsory at this school."

"What? How can it be compulsory! That's ridiculous!" she shouted, "You say this school is designed to help people in need. Yet, many people who are worse off need to work so that they don't, you know, starve to death. Then, you go and make them join an afterschool club, limiting the amount they can earn?"

"No, the reason joining an afterschool club is compulsory is **because of **the fact that many people need to work. There are many people at this school who go straight from school to work, every opportunity they can. I've seen students who do this. They essentially become zombies. We force them to join an after school club so that, at least two days of the week, they actually have something they can look forward to, and enjoy."

Amu was left speechless at his words. He had, actually, thought this through very well. Unfortunately for Amu, this meant she would have to interact with people.

"You don't have to join one right away, but I think if you join the right club, you can truly enjoy yourself. No matter the people you're with, as long as you're doing something you love, you just have to focus yourself."

"Well, thank you for the information. I better get Ami home, and go job hunting, so I'll have to leave now." After Amu finished talking, she turned and started walking back in the direction of her dorm. She was stopped, however, when she heard the principal start speaking again.

"You know… I have some inside information on some employers who are willing to provide quite a lot of cash," he stated. He seemed to be able to read Amu just like a book; he always knew exactly what she wanted to hear. "The only condition; they are good at dancing."

"Omigosh! Sissy! You are good at dancing," Ami squealed.

"Shhh, keep your voice down Ami," Amu told her.

"Oh? So you are good at dancing?" He questioned.

"The answer depends…" Amu stated, clearly indicating for him to continue explaining.

"On?"

"How much money is being paid, of course."

"Oh… I can assure you. It's only a weekend job, yet it'll be much more than you require."

Amu looked at him suspiciously; this offer seemed too good to be true.

"I can't tell you much more information. I will leave that to one of my acquaintances, Miss Sanjo. Unfortunately, she's not available today. If you go to her office tomorrow, though, I am sure she'll be happy to give you some information on the job. I'll write down the address on a piece of paper."

As he wrote down the address, Amu couldn't help but grow more suspicious. He hadn't even specified what the job was; yet he had already reached the limit of what he could tell her. Knowing that he was a principal of a school, however, calmed her slightly. In his position, he wouldn't be able to recommend any shady jobs to her, or he would be fired by the education department immediately. After she received the address from him, they bid their farewells and she began walking home with Ami. When she arrived at her dorm she was relieved to see that Nadeshiko and Yaya were not home yet. She remembered what the principal had said; clubs ran on Tuesdays and Fridays. That meant Amu had the place to herself.

"Hey sissy, aren't you excited about the job?" Ami shouted excitedly.

Amu shrugged her shoulders. However, she couldn't stop herself from being curious; what on Earth type of job only required people to be good at dancing?

"I haven't seen you dance in ages sissy! Oh, you know today in assembly there was a group dancing at the front? I saw them, but I still think you're better than them sissy!" Ami told her sister fondly.

"Oh, you had a lower school assembly too?" Amu asked.

"Yes! They danced to a song named 'Oh!'"

"Oh, that's the same song they did in upper school assembly," Amu told her, her voice flat.

"Sissy…" Ami said, her tone obviously indicating she was about to beg for something, "Can I see you dance that song?"

"What? I'm not the one that learnt the song. Ask Nadeshiko to dance it when she gets back," Amu said bitterly.

Ami whined, "Sissy! I know you're a genius! You can learn any dance just by watching it once!"

Amu stayed quiet, knowing that her tiny sister had gotten the best of her. "Fine then, I'll dance, except, I don't have any music."

"I can sing it!" Ami yelled excitedly.

Amu smiled at her little sister. Her little sister begun singing "Oh!", as Amu followed the steps that Nadeshiko had danced previously that day. She followed the steps flawlessly, remembering every detail she had observed.

After she finished dancing, she heard someone clapping from behind her.

"Wow, you're really good at dancing."

Amu spun immediately, and she saw Nadeshiko and Yaya standing in the doorway. Nadeshiko was the one clapping, and had been the one to speak.

"And Ami, you're really good at singing," Nadeshiko smiled warmly as she spoke to the little girl.

Amu inwardly cringed as she heard the two speak. From their performance this morning, she knew that they were both in the dance club. She could imagine them trying to recruit her into the club.

"Before you ask, I'm not joining the dance club. I don't want anything to do with you or your friends."

Nadeshiko smiled as she heard Amu say this, "You know me already?"

"What can I say? You're a predictable person."

Yaya stayed silent through this encounter. She looked terrified of the two. Although there was no argument yet, the tension in the air could be felt.

"So, why aren't you at dance club?" Amu asked.

"Oh, it was cancelled for today since we thought we deserved a break after our performances at assembly," Nadeshiko begun. "I have a question…" she began to say, before being cut off by Amu.

"What is it?"

"I was getting to that, if you'll be patient. How do you know the dance for 'Oh'?"

"Sissy is a genius!" Ami yelled excitedly.

Amu cringed as she heard Ami yell this. Their knowledge would just make them more intrigued and, in turn, cause them to try and recruit her to their club even more.

"A genius, eh? What type of genius?" Nadeshiko asked, clearly intrigued by Ami's statement.

"She can learn any dance after just seeing it once!"

"Oh? Having you in the dance club would be great…"

Amu ground her teeth. She didn't want to shout at her in front of Ami.

"Yes! Sissy loves dancing!" Ami yelled excitedly.

"Shh Ami!" Amu shouted. She raised her voice more than she had intended. Ami flinched. "I'm sorry, Ami. I'm not in a good mood right now… I'm gonna go lie down."

"Oh… that's fine sissy. Will you make me dinner later?"

"I can make you dinner, Ami," Nadeshiko told her.

"That's fine, I can handle it," Amu told, trying to push Nadeshiko away. She knew that she couldn't allow herself to become indebted to Nadeshiko. Amu headed to her room, and, as soon as her head hit the pillow, sleep overcame her. Nadeshiko ended up making dinner for Ami, as Amu didn't awake until the next morning.

* * *

><p>When Amu awoke he next morning, she quickly realised she wasn't in her own bed. She opened her eyes, and they revealed a familiar scene. After all, she had been in the nurse's office for the past two days in a row. Was there some kind of fate that managed to lead her here…?<p>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thank you for reading everyone! Special thanks to CrossAngel-Chan, KakaSaku Chan and an anonymous reviewer! Thanks to everyone who put this on story alert as well. xD**

**A review would mean a lot to me. Some ideas to include in your review (You don't have to include any of these, just some ideas) could be:**

**What do you think the job will be?**

**What club do you think Amu will end up joining?**

**Why did Amu end up in the nurse's office again?**

**And, of course, what pairings are you rooting for?**

**See you next Saturday!**


	4. Chapter 3: Sickly Chara

**A/N: First thing I want to say is that I'm amazed by the amount of Kukamu supporters! I was expecting to see a lot of Amuto supporters and only 1 or 2 Kukamu supporters, but the result ended up opposite! I'm glad to see so many Kukamu supporters, since I love Kukamu. Don't worry Amuto supporters, though. I love Amuto equally as much. Both of these couples get just as much love as each other.**

**I'm sorry that it's a bit shorter than the other chapters so far, but I just end the chapters when I feel that it's a good time to end the chapter. Of course, it does have to be at least pretty long, but yeah. **

**Anyway, without further ado, here is chapter 3 of Facades!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3: Sickly Chara<strong>

As Amu searched the room she was lying in she could not see any nurse. She thought back to the past experiences she had in the nurse's office over her two days at the school. She realised that never once had the nurse actually been inside the office.

Amu's thoughts were interrupted when she heard a voice from the entrance of the room.

"I told you that you were malnourished."

Amu looked to see it was Tadase. She thought back to their conversation that took place after she fainted yesterday. Her thoughts also wandered to last night. She had not eaten dinner, as she fell asleep very quickly after she had gotten home. She had eaten lunch yesterday, although she had only had a few bites of a piece of fish. During home economics she ate a cupcake. That was the only food she had eaten for the whole day. In hindsight, perhaps Amu had needed to eat more.

"How did I get here?" Amu questioned.

"Nadeshiko bought you here."

"Why?" Amu asked suspiciously.

"Are you always such a sceptic? Do you always have to question people's motives? She was really worried when she bought you here. You were as pale as a ghost, and it was **genuine **worry on her face."

Amu was shocked by his outburst. With his baby face, he didn't seem like the type to have outbursts of anger.

"So, you actually have guts?" Amu questioned, "And here I thought you were some pansy that still managed to attract all the girls and thought he was the bloody greatest thing in the world."

Tadase scoffed as he heard this. "Anyway, sit up and eat," he told her as he handed a plate to her.

Amu looked at the food that she had been given. It was all food that she recognised to be high in vitamins, sugar and energy. Obviously, whoever had supplied the food had experience dealing with people prone to fainting.

"You better appreciate the meal. Just so you know I didn't do it for you. I did it because Nadeshiko asked me to. Oh, and she said not to worry about Ami. Yaya took her to school."

Amu liked his honesty. She began eating the food he gave her, which tasted surprisingly nice. As she ate she felt colour returning to her face.

"I want you to join the student council."

Amu almost spat out her food as she heard him say that, "What?"

"You'd be good on the student council."

"Uhhh… I think you have the wrong girl…"

"Nope. You're definitely the one I'm thinking of… You know you have to join a club soon, right?"

"Yeah, I know… Don't remind me of my impending doom."

"The student council would be a great club for you to join," he told her.

She started laughing, "Yeah… totally. Join a club that is full of the people I'm trying to **avoid**. That's totally the best option for me."

"Well, the student council is an invite-only club. The invitation is always there if you want to join. But, you'll have a pretty hard time finding a club when it's already half way through the term."

Amu thought about what he said. It was true that she wouldn't just be able to join any club.

"Or, of course, you could join the dance club. Nadeshiko told me about your talent. With your talent, you'd easily be able to catch up to where everyone else is at."

Amu groaned. Nadeshiko had already spread the word. As if Tadase had read her mind he told her, "Don't worry, she only told me and Kukai."

"Anyway… don't you have class to get to?" Amu questioned.

"Well, it is recess time," he told her.

Amu's eyes widened as he told her this. It was recess already? She really had been knocked out. She was sure if she could get this job she was going for today then she wouldn't have to starve herself anymore. She had English next, and then Food science. This would be her first English class since she had come to the school.

"Don't even think about leaving yet. You have to finish eating everything on that plate I gave you," Tadase said, interrupting her thoughts.

She looked down to the plate; she had eaten a surprising amount of food, yet there was still so much on the plate.

"And don't even think about complaining. If you took care of your body in the first place, I wouldn't have to take care of your body," Tadase told her in a provocative voice.

"I'm guessing that was supposed to be an innuendo? I don't really see how you get so many girls. You have a baby face like a five year old; yet talk like a dirty teenager. When you start speaking you just look like you're so out of place," Amu told him harshly. He deserved it, she thought.

"Oh? You interest me," he told her.

"What?"

"You wanna know why I rejected all those girls? They're so boring. They're clingy and they aren't exciting at all. You're different, though. You're interesting."

Amu scoffed, before she began eating again. The bell rang just as Amu finished eating.

"Well, if you end up in this nurse's office again, I'm not going to help you. You need to take care of your body better."

"I don't plan on coming here again," she told him.

She realised that Nadeshiko had even bought her bag. She collected her bag before heading towards her English class. Amu recognised quite a few faces when she arrived at her class; Rima, Kukai and Yaya were all in the class. Amu also spotted the blonde girl who had stopped the fight between her and Nadeshiko by running her hands down the blackboard on her first day.

"Yo, Amu!" She heard Kukai call.

Amu had hoped that her harsh words towards him would get him to back down; but obviously they had absolutely no affect. It was like kicking a puppy that was really excited to see you. You can kick it, which will momentarily hurt it; however, it will jump back at you again, since it's still excited. She noticed that the English classroom was in groups, rather than single desks in rows. That was bad for Amu, since it meant that mutual interaction was expected. She looked back to Rima's desk, hoping that it would be empty. However, she saw 3 boys sitting with her. None of them really seemed outstanding at all.

While she was scanning the room for a spot to sit, she heard Rima exclaim that she was thirsty. Suddenly, about 5 boys from various places over the classroom, including the 3 who she was sitting with, all pulled out a water bottle and offered it to her. Rima selected a seemingly random one, which made the boy who held it elated. Amu looked at this scene with surprise. She remembered what Rima had said during food science, "All of the females at this school hate me". Amu guessed that now she at least knew why.

Amu continued scanning the room, hoping to find somewhere to sit which was nowhere close to Kukai. Unfortunately, during the time she was looking at the event with Rima unfold; many of the seats had been taken up. She was surprised to see that the class was so full. The only seat left in the class was in a group with Kukai, Yaya and Yamada. Amu blinked to make sure that she wasn't seeing things, before sighing at her imminent doom. She slowly walked to the table, and took her seat.

"I heard you ended up in the nurse's office **again**?" Kukai asked, "You just can't catch a break can you?"

Amu sighed, but didn't reply. Why bother? He knew the answer anyway.

"Ami is adorable," Yaya told Amu, "I took her to class today."

It didn't take long for Amu to realise the slyness of Yaya's comment. Although it was a seemingly normal cute comment from a babyish girl, Amu caught the hidden meaning behind it. It was more like an I-did-a-favour-for-you-so-now-you-owe-me comment.

Amu just glared at Yaya, hoping it would silence her. Luckily for Amu, it worked.

"So, you actually gonna play sport today?" Yamada asked her.

Amu glared at him, too. He didn't pay attention to her glare, though. His smile remained on his face.

The four were interrupted when the teacher began talking. She was rambling, and Amu paid no attention whatsoever. After the teacher had finished talking, which took a fair while; she handed out a piece of blank A3 paper per table. Amu had no idea what she was supposed to be doing.

Luckily for Amu, she wasn't the only one, as she heard Yaya ask, "So what are we doing?"

Kukai laughed and scratched his head, "I have no idea. She lost me at plan."

Yamada sighed before looking at the other two. "We have to make a plan for a role-play."

"Role-play?" Amu exclaimed.

"Let me guess, you weren't listening either Amu?" Kukai asked happily.

Amu shot him a glare, which seemed to have no effect.

"Yes, a role-play," Yamada continued, "It has to be based upon a fairy tale, but has to be a total muck-up of the fairy tale. For example, three bears sneaking into goldilocks' home and eating her. Oh, and we're doing it in the groups we're sitting in at the moment."

Kukai smiled happily as he heard the last sentence. Amu, on the other hand, was not so happy.

"So, what fairy tale should we do?" Yaya asked excitedly.

"I think Cindarella," Yamada said.

"No way! We should do Kukai and the beanstalk!" Kukai said excitedly.

Yaya coughed as she heard this, "No way! Little red riding Yaya!"

The three bickered like this for a few minutes, to which Amu simply rolled her eyes and listened.

"Okay then, we decided we're doing Sleeping Beauty. Everyone finally agree?" Kukai asked.

Yaya and Yamada nodded, and they all looked at Amu in anticipation. Amu shrugged her shoulders, and the three of them cheered happily.

"Well, what twists are we supposed to add?" Yaya questioned.

The three of them continued talking, and Amu zoned out of their conversation.

Amu's zoning out was interrupted when Kukai questioned her while pointing to the A3 sheet, "So you agree with everything we've written?"

Amu really couldn't be bothered to read so much, so simply said yes. She heard the three of them cheer again. By the time the planning was finished, the bell rang which signalled next class. Amu had food science. She picked up her bag and began walking to her next class, ignoring Kukai's 'bye'. When she entered the class she saw that they were doing theory this lesson. After lunch, though, they had another lesson, in which they were doing practical.

Amu once again sat next to Rima. Unfortunately, for theory, there were no set working areas. This left Amu's left side wide open for Nadeshiko to take advantage of.

"Are you feeling alright now?" Nadeshiko questioned.

"I'm fine," Amu spat.

"By the way, I cooked dinner for Ami last night, so don't worry," Nadeshiko told her, a smile plastered on her face.

Amu caught the meaning behind the words. Nadeshiko was just as sly as Yaya; now she knew why they got along well. They had both indicated to Amu that she would owe them a favour, but did it subtly so no one else would notice.

"Thanks for that," Amu told her insincerely.

"So, did you have a good time with Tadase in the nurse's office?" Nadeshiko asked her.

"Can you get off of my back? You're so freaking annoying!"

Amu's raising of her voice did not faze Nadeshiko in the slightest.

Luckily for Amu the teacher chose that moment to begin her lesson. She told them to discuss with their practical partner about decoration methods for a cake. Apparently their task was going to be to make and decorate a cake. They would be rewarded for individuality and creativeness as well as other basic skills, but they had to be able to make it in one lesson. Amu began discussing the task with Rima, talking about what type of cake they would make and how they would decorate it. By the end of the lesson they had decided on a mudcake. They were going to do chocolate swirls, which they would set before placing on top of the cake. Before long the bell rang signalling lunchtime. Amu collected her stuff before heading to the library. When she arrived at her corner, she once again saw Ikuto sitting on the beanbag. This time, however, she did not even attempt to get him to move. Instead, she simply sat beside him.

"Where were you at recess?" He questioned.

"Why should I tell you?" Amu asked coldly.

"Aww… and here I thought we were getting to be friends," he told her.

"Listen, I'm never going to be your friend. All you are is a pest."

"Oh, so you're the type to just use someone as eye candy and tease them, but not follow through, huh?" He asked as he leaned close to her ear.

Unlike last time, though, Amu was prepared. She bought her knee straight up, right between his legs. She saw him collapse in pain, about to scream. Amu, however, bought her hand to his mouth, before straddling him and leaning close to his ear.

"Listen, I'm the one in control here, understand?" Amu began, "Oh, and it's a library, so try not to be too noisy."

He nodded meekly. Amu removed her hand from his mouth, hoping he would refrain from screaming. She was glad to see that he was not in so much pain anymore.

"Hmm, you're pretty strong," Amu began, "Most boys I've kneed in the balls whine for a lot longer than you did."

Ikuto, still in pain, simply nodded.

"Although, it could just say something about the size of **it**."

Ikuto glared at her, "Oh, and wouldn't you like to know?"

"Hmm, maybe I would," she whispered into his ear, moving her body closer to his. She felt him tense up. She moved her hand down his chest, slowly working her way towards his lower body. Her lips connected with his ear, as she heard a shriek from behind her.

Amu quickly got off Ikuto, and turned. She saw it was Yaya. Hearing Yaya's scream, Nadeshiko quickly came from around the corner.

"T-T-T-They w-w-were just about to have **sex**!" Yaya yelled, "Her hands were almost on his… **thing** and she was kissing his ear!"

Amu gulped. She would bet they would tell the principal. This could end her stay at Seiyo academy already. Suddenly, from around the corner Tadase appeared.

"Hmph… the black cat of misfortune, eh? I don't know why you aren't in jail yet. I bet you coerced her."

Amu could feel the venom and hate in Tadase's words.

"No! I was the one who initiated it!" Amu yelled, "But you have to believe me, we weren't gonna have sex…"

"Yeah, she wouldn't do that," Amu heard a voice say. She saw another head appear from around the corner. This time it was Kukai, "Sometimes… situations can be misinterpreted. Tell us the whole story Amu. You better not leave anything out, though, or we will report you to the principal."

"Where should I begin?" Amu questioned softly.

"Right from how you met this bastard," Nadeshiko told her.

Throughout this confrontation between the student council and Ikuto, Amu noted that Ikuto had stayed silent the whole time. He had a look of guilt and sadness on his face.

Amu began relating the story of how Ikuto and she had met, and how they had come to be in the position they were in. After she had finished telling them, Tadase walked away with a sour look on his face.

"Thanks for telling us the truth, Amu," Nadeshiko told her.

"Why are you so trusting?" Amu questioned.

"Pardon?"

"That whole story could have been lies, but you trust me. Why?"

Nadeshiko started laughing when she heard this question. "I know a liar when I see one. You weren't lying just then. Besides it's class time now, so we had better be heading to food science. The cake is an assessment, so it would be wise if we weren't late."

After saying this, Nadeshiko and Yaya began walking away. Amu, too, stood and began to walk away.

"I'm sorry," she heard Ikuto say as she walked away. She didn't respond to him. She kept walking, her back turned to him as she walked away.

* * *

><p>The cake assessment passed quickly, Amu and Rima had done well. After looking at the other's cakes, theirs was one of the most creative. Amu did have to admit, though, that Nadeshiko's and Yaya's was better. Before long the last period of the day came. Amu had phys ed. She got changed into her sports clothes before heading towards the oval. She stood separate to the group of boys. However, Kukai quickly called for her to join the group. Amu rolled her eyes and turned her back towards him.<p>

Soon she someone hug her from behind, pinning her arms to her sides. Luckily for Amu, she had taken self-defence classes when she was younger. She still practiced her techniques from time to time. She quickly lowered her centre of gravity and dropped her body, to loosen his grip. She then dug her elbow into his stomach. Kukai had obviously anticipated this, however, and had tightened his stomach muscles. Instead of Kukai crying out in pain, Amu cringed as her elbow connected with his abs.

"I thought after staring at them for long enough, you would have known that my abs are rock hard," he told her playfully. Amu made a mental note to use a different technique next time.

"Why do you try so hard to avoid me? That could have seriously hurt if I hadn't tightened my abs."

"That was the point. I was hoping if you saw what a violent bitch I really am you would get off of my back."

"Oh, please, I'm used to worse."

Amu didn't read too far into this comment. She had assumed he had meant that he and his mates would play around and hit each other. If only she had known the secret meaning behind his words.

Their conversation was interrupted when Mr Anderson appeared.

"Decided to finally join us today Amu?" He questioned. Amu ignored the remark, and he continued to talk about what they were going to be doing today. He told them that since the athletics carnival was next week, he had wanted to do some work on their athletics. "After all, you are some of the leading athletes in the school. The year eleven carnival will be on Thursday. I want all of you to enter as many events as you can. When the list of the top twenty athletes for the event is made, I don't want anyone on the list except you guys."

Amu noted his purposeful use of 'guys' to exclude Amu from his statement. This guy really pissed Amu off. She felt like kicking him in the balls too. Amu stopped listening to his incessant babbling. Soon enough, everyone was spreading out to set up the oval. They set up running tracks, cleaned up the long jump pit, were bringing out shot-puts and high jump mats. With the whole class working to set up the oval, it happened fairly quickly. Mr. Anderson told them that they could work on whatever they felt they needed to work on. Amu first went over to the high jump mat. She saw that Kukai was following her.

"Do you really need to follow me?"

"Of course. I have to see how good my rivals are."

Amu rolled her eyes, "So you're someone who plays dirty?"

"Oh yes, I am **very dirty**," he said, his tone stressing the innuendo.

Amu felt a shiver down her spine as he said that. He was so hot, and Amu couldn't help but stare at him when he said it. She shook her head to shake out the thoughts that were quickly entering. Amu got into position for high jump.

"But, you must be good at high jump," he told her.

Amu looked at him questioningly as he said this. The way he spoke obviously indicated he was leading onto something else.

"I mean, you always seem to be on top."

Amu blushed as she remembered her encounter with him in the nurse's office, and then her encounter with Ikuto in the library. Amu decided to play along with Kukai's game.

"Yes, I like being on top. I like my guys to be submissive. I want them to beg for more as I whip them. That's how I am. Think you can handle it?"

Kukai turned bright red, and Amu knew that he was imagining it happening. Amu started laughing, before running into her high jump. She easily cleared the jump. Amu watched Kukai easily clear the jump as well. She asked him to help raise the height of the bar. Kukai was still red in the face. Amu knew that this would keep him off her back for a little while. After she finished at the high jump, she went to shot put. Kukai once again followed her.

The lesson went on like this for a while, before the bell rang. Amu remembered that today she was going to Mrs. Sanjo's office to find out more about the job that the principal had talked about. She was really curious to find out about it. What kind of weekend job only has the requirements you are good at dancing?

Amu picked Ami up from her class before taking her back to the dorm. She noticed Nadeshiko and Yaya were not yet home. Amu remembered that since they were also in the student council they had afterschool activities everyday of the week except Monday. This was good for Amu, as she could avoid their questioning about where she was going. She took the note that had Mrs. Sanjo's office address on it, and bid goodbye to Ami as she left.

* * *

><p>Amu walked into Easter's building and walked up to the front desk. She gave the clerk her name and told her that she had a scheduled meeting with Mrs. Sanjo. The clerk typed a few things into the computer before giving her a pass and telling her to show it to the security guards at the elevator. She walked past all the security guards, showing them the pass. She felt nervous as she continued walking. Easter sure had a lot of security… She got to the elevator and showed the guards her pass. One of the security guards stepped into the elevator and told her to come in as well. She stepped into the elevator and he pressed one of the buttons and then elevator began to rise. After it had already been rising for a while it finally stopped and Amu followed the security guard out. They walked down a hallway and there was a security guard standing at the end. The other security guard whispered to him and Amu held up her pass. The security guard nodded and stepped out of the way, allowing Amu to enter Mrs. Sanjo's office.<p>

"Ahh. Sit down Amu," she told her, pointing at the chair in front of her desk.

Another statement that confused Amu. How on Earth did this lady know her name?

"Thank you," Amu began politely, "I was informed you are hiring someone for a weekend job. The only requirement was that they are good at dancing. Is this true?"

"Mostly true… I have one more requirement. Can you please take off your shirt Amu?"

Amu's eyes widened when she said this. What the hell was this crazy bitch saying? Amu had been suspicious about this job from the start. What kind of dancing did they want her to do?

"Get fucked you bitch! What the hell? Are you a psycho? I'm going to report you for paedophilia!" Amu shouted.

"Good. You pass the test."

Amu was, once again, confused.

"If you had done it, I would have kicked you out on the spot. The other requirement is that we need a woman with spunk. A woman who can stand up for herself, who can stand up for what she believes in. Amu, you're hired!"

Amu blinked. She still had no idea what the job was.

"Oh, that's right, I never explained what the job is," She began, as if she had read Amu's mind, "As you could probably tell, I work for Easter."

Amu nodded, she had guessed by the fact she was standing in the Easter building at the moment. Easter was **the **biggest record label in Australia. It wasn't only a record label. They had recently also taken over fast food franchises, as well as many other avenues of revenue. Being a record label was the original purpose of Easter, though.

"Well, you see, we need people to advertise for us," she began, "So far we have a few pairs who do this. The idea is that you just have to dance new and upcoming songs at some public places like shopping centres, etc. It helps to produce interest for the upcoming song, and helps to spread the word around. You can't reveal that you are working for Easter, though. The idea of this is to be anonymous, so people think that it's a privately organised event. It helps with the task."

Amu was interested. For Amu, this would be an easy task. Her ears perked up at the word 'pairs', though. "You said pairs… does that mean that people are in partners?"

"Ahh. Yes, people have to be in partners since some of our songs released have dances that are in partners. Your partner will be the one you have to commute with regularly, which introduces the third requirement for the job; you must get along with your partner."

Amu gulped. That one could be hard to fulfil. Being in a partnership implied mutual interaction and friendship. She hoped she could perhaps be paired with someone like Rima, who shared similar views to Amu.

"So… the job is offered. Do you wish to take it?"

"I would love to, but you haven't even seen me dance yet. How do you know I'm good?"

"You'll take the job?" She exclaimed happily.

"Yes, of course. You didn't answer my question, though."

"Oh, the reason I know you're good at dancing? You're partner has already vouched for you."

Amu was, for what seemed like the millionth time today, confused by what Mrs. Sanjo had said.

Amu's confusion, however, turned into a mixture of surprise, misery and despair as she recognised who entered into Mrs. Sanjo's office.

"Amu, meet your new partner."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well there you have chapter 3! I hope you enjoyed it. To be honest, I don't think it's as good as the other chapters, but that's the way things are, I guess. This chapter did set up quite a lot. **

**Thanks to my reviewers from last chapter: CrossAngel-Chan, OHSHC Forever, anime-lover211, KakaSaku Chan and 2lazyforanaccount. Your reviews mean the world to me. By the way, just so people know, I reply to my reviews in the form of a private message. This means that if you do an anonymous review, I'm sorry, but I won't be able to reply. I don't like to have big sections at the end of stories replying to reviews, so I'm sorry. I will reply to every signed review, though. And, I always read and love every review that anyone gives, signed or not. **

**Anyway, here are some thinking questions that you might wish to include in your review.**

**What do you think of Tadase's playboy personality? Façade or not?**

**What twists do you think Amu is unaware of for their sleeping beauty roleplay?**

**What do you think Kukai meant by "Oh, please, I'm used to far worse"? **

**And, of course, who do you think Amu's new partner is?**

**Thanks for reading chapter 3, and I'll see you next Saturday for chapter 4!**


	5. Chapter 4: Dominant Chara

**A/N: First things first: This is WAY late and I'm SO sorry. Originally I decided that I'd put it up on sunday since school's gone back and I've just been swamped. And then, Sunday evening when I went to put it up the login server decided not to work... When I clicked on "Sign In" my internet just spent over 5 minutes trying to load the page. I tried like once every 10 mins or so for about 2 hours so I gave up, and so here I am posting it now. Extremely sorryy! **

**Somehow Chapter 3 had way more hits than chapter 2 did, but still managed to end up with less reviews. Oh well, thanks to my reviewers from chapter 3: KakaSaku Chan, CrossAngel-Chan and F0reverRand0m. Your reviews truly mean a lot to me. Also, a big thank you to everyone put me/my story on alert. **

**Hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4: Dominant Chara<strong>

"Welcome to Easter, Amu," the boy who was now standing at the opposite side of Mrs. Sanjo's office told her.

"Tadase…"

"Oh? You two know each other? This should be excellent then!" Mrs. Sanjo exclaimed.

"Well, you see the thing is…" Tadase began.

"That we're actually old friends!" Amu finished for him. She knew that she couldn't ruin this opportunity. Working for Easter would definitely pay well, no matter what position she was in. The fact it was only a weekend job was also a benefit.

"Oh? Is that right!" Mrs. Sanjo said happily, "Well you two will begin learning a song I want you to advertise on Saturday. Amu, I hope you're a quick learner, because the concert is at Garden City, the biggest shopping centre around here, and it's not this Saturday, but next Saturday."

"Actually, I'm a very quick learner," Amu told her.

"Oh, yes, Tadase told me already. Welcome to our team, Amu!"

Amu and Tadase bid goodbye to Mrs. Sanjo, and left her office. After they had exited the building, Amu quickly pushed Tadase away.

"Don't think that because we're forced to work together that we're friends or anything pathetic like that."

"Oh? But you're the one that said we were old friends. You realise that now that you've told her that you're gonna have to act like we're friends for every weekend of your life."

"I know. But, I need this job, so you better not ruin it for me."

"I assure you, I won't be the one to ruin it."

Amu ran ahead of Tadase, and before long arrived back at her dorm. Nadeshiko and Yaya were back at the dorm by now, so Amu tried to avoid Ami's questions about her new job. The night passed by quickly.

* * *

><p>The next day in form class Nikaido began by saying that everyone needed to fill out the forms stating which events they wished to be in for the athletics carnival. The forms were scattered across various tables. Amu heard lots of quiet talking asking about which events people were entering, etc.<p>

"So what events are you entering?" Nadeshiko asked Amu.

"Everything I can," Amu told her.

"Good on ya, Amu!" Kukai told her from behind her.

"You must be pretty athletic, there's a lot of events. You'll probably be exhausted by the end," Nadeshiko told her.

"Don't underestimate her. She rivals me at soccer, what do you expect from her in other sports? I'm interested," Kukai told her, his trademark goofy smile on his face.

"Rival you? Last time we played I owned you and you fell flat on your back, and had a ball smashed in your face. I'd say I'm better than you at soccer," Amu told him, unwilling to back down.

Kukai laughed, "That was only since I was unprepared. I didn't realise you'd be so good."

"You know what they say, never underestimate your opponent."

"Well then," Kukai began, his voice challenging, "How about we have a competition?"

"Oh? And what would the prizes be?"

"Hmm. I'm not sure yet. How about we both enter every event, and we see who wins out of us two in each event? We tally up the scores and see who wins."

"Oh? I'm game," Amu responded, "But you better be prepared, otherwise I'll **whip your ass**, if you remember what I was talking about yesterday."

Amu knew this would work, as Kukai slowly began recalling the event. His became flushed and his face grew red, "Damn you Amu!" He yelled playfully.

Nadeshiko simply watched the scene with amusement. "Kukai, have you, perhaps, been hiding something from me? What were you talking about with Amu?" She asked playfully.

Kukai left and began to go write his name down for every event. Amu followed suit.

The rest of the day passed by quickly. At recess and lunch Amu no longer went to the library, instead, she simply sat under a tree.

* * *

><p>Kukai grabbed a chair and, putting it backwards, sat in front of Amu during form period the next day.<p>

"I've decided on the wagers of the bet," he told her.

"Oh? What are they?" She asked.

"If I win, you have to be my friend," he begun. Amu scoffed.

"I'm sorry, but there's no way I'm agreeing to this, just call it off now."

"Just listen first. If you win, however, I promise that Nadeshiko, Tadase, Yaya and I will **all** leave you alone for as long as you wish."

Amu's eyes were open now.

"Hey! Don't make a bet that involves me!" Nadeshiko yelled at him.

"Don't worry Nadeshiko, do you think I could lose?" Kukai asked her with a goofy smile on his face.

"Yes, I think you could lose. Amu excels in **everything **I've seen her do so far. Why would sport be any different?"

"How could you have so little confidence in me? I'm one of the top under 18 athletes in the state remember."

"Yeah, and I'm one of the top dancers of the state, but she can dance as good as me," Nadeshiko told him.

Amu was pleased by the compliment, but believed Nadeshiko to be lying. Although Amu would admit she was good, she knew that she did not hold a candle to Nadeshiko. Although she had only seen Nadeshiko dance once, she could tell that her talent was beyond amazing.

"Well, it's up to Amu anyway. Amu, I want to know by the end of the day," he told her.

"I'll think about it," Amu told him.

Amu could not concentrate on schoolwork much for the rest of the day. She was too busy thinking whether or not she would accept his offer. If she won, she would be able to live the rest of her school life in peace. People would not bother her, and she would be able to get through school easily. She would only have to deal with Tadase on weekends, but that would be fine. After all, they would be working. However, she did know that Kukai was an **extremely **good athlete. She hadn't seen his real skill yet. From what she had seen when they had been practicing for the athletics carnival, they were roughly equal. He had beaten her in throwing events like shot put and discus, but she had beaten him in the 100m sprint and long jump and high jump. Amu thought about the events she had seen on papers scattered across the form class yesterday. The events were all different distances of running up to 1500m, different distances of hurdles, long jump, triple jump, high jump, shot-put discus and hammer throw. There were three jumping events, three throwing events, and a multitude of running events. That was when Amu had decided she would accept Kukai's challenge.

Unfortunately for Amu, by the time she had decided this it was already time to go home. Amu ran around like a headless chook, trying to find Kukai. Then she remembered that it was a Friday. That meant he would have dance club. Unfortunately, she had absolutely no clue where dance club was held. She headed towards the Auditorium, as that seemed to be the most likely place. Fortunately, Amu was correct. When she opened the door, the group of about 10 were in the middle of a song.

After they finished the song, Amu yelled out to Kukai, "I accept your challenge, Kukai!"

Kukai smirked, "Good. I look forward to being your friend."

"Don't get cocky. I will **not **lose," Amu told him as she turned her back. She began to walk out of the Auditorium.

"Yeah, well I won't let this opportunity pass by, Amu. I will become your friend, whether you like it or not!"

Amu ignored the last comment and kept walking. She apologized to Ami for being late when she picked her up. The rest of the evening was fairly uneventful. Amu was looking at a stack of paper she had been given by Mrs. Sanjo. She saw that tomorrow she needed to be at work by 9am. Amu set her alarm, and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>Amu arrived at work early the next morning. She began discussing things with Mrs. Sanjo like pay, conditions, etc. Amu found the pay and conditions very acceptable, and definitely more than she expected for a weekend job. After they finished discussing various things, Mrs. Sanjo led her to the dance practice studio. When Amu entered she saw Tadase was already in there practicing. The studio itself was quite amazing. It was larger than Amu had expected.<p>

"Well, it's 8:55 at the moment. You should meet the rest of your teammates at 9:00. Although you're in partners, you can always ask other members of the team if you're unsure about anything. Until then, how about you two talk for a bit."

Mrs. Sanjo left after saying her few words, leaving Tadase and Amu alone.

"So, I heard you accepted Kukai's challenge?" Tadase asked.

"Yeah, I did. And I'm gonna win. And then you're gonna leave me alone. Got it?"

Tadase scoffed. "You really think you can beat Kukai?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see, huh?"

"So, how'd you get the job here?" Amu asked, changing the subject.

"The same way you did. Tsukasa has connections in high places. He helped all of us get a job here."

"All of us? What is that supposed to mean?"

Amu's question answered itself when she heard the door open. She turned around and looked at who just walked through the door.

"Nadeshiko… Kukai…" Amu whispered under her breath.

"Amu… welcome to Easter," Nadeshiko told her.

Kukai ran up to Amu and hugged her, "Yes! You joined!"

Amu raised her eyebrows after he said this. Then she remembered how Tadase had reacted after she had joined. He wasn't surprised at all.

"You guys… you all knew I was going to join didn't you?" Amu questioned.

"Uhhh…" Kukai began.

Nadeshiko laughed, "So you figured it out. You see, as we're all part of the student council, we meet with the principal very commonly."

Amu cursed under her breath. All this time she had been walking into a cleverly designed trap.

Suddenly, a man entered the studio. Amu assumed this to be their instructor.

"Hello Amu, Tadase. I'm Mr. Clarkson. You two probably don't know me. You know my dances, though. I choreograph a lot of our well known artists here in Easter, such as Utau Hoshina, Lady GaGa, Katy Perry, Girl's Generation and SHINee. I will be the one who teaches you guys the dances."

"Well, you guys probably know there's a concert at Garden City next Saturday right? That means you have today and tomorrow to learn a new dance. This is a pretty important one too. Now, let me take you guys through the steps."

* * *

><p>Amu was walking back to her dorm, Nadeshiko, Kukai and Tadase walking only a few metres behind her. She had learnt the dance. She knew that she hadn't perfected it yet, though.<p>

"Hey, Amu!" She heard Kukai call from behind her, "I think Mr. Clarkson likes you."

Amu turned around and raised her eyebrow.

"Did you see? He gave you the front role, and it's only your first performance. He obviously has a lot of confidence in you."

"Yeah, it was probably a wise decision by him," Nadeshiko stated, "Amu seems to have this vibe that attracts people. If Amu dances this song well, it will definitely mean an increase in sales."

Amu didn't say anything, but instead just turned around and walked through the gates. Then something hit her.

"Hey, Tadase, Kukai, you guys stay in the school dorms too?"

"Oh? Why are you interested?" Kukai asked playfully. Amu rolled her eyes. "Well, yeah we do. We both live in the same dorm."

"Yeah, I mean the job at Easter pays good but not enough for us to buy our own houses," Tadase told her.

Amu picked up on the wording of Tadase's statement. He obviously implied that neither of the two had parents they could live with.

"Well, don't worry. If you ever want to sleep with me, Tadase will gladly put earplugs in," Kukai told her, a playful smile on his face.

"Oh yeah, he'll definitely need them. Remember what I told you?" Amu asked, playful smile on her face, too. Nadeshiko, with eyes like a hawk, picked up the smile, which lasted all but a few seconds. Kukai blushed after realising what Amu had meant by her comment.

"Anyway, we'll see you tomorrow," Kukai called out to Nadeshiko and Amu, as he began to turn and walk the other way. Tadase followed behind him, making fun of Kukai. Amu and Nadeshiko began walking in the opposite direction towards their dorm.

"You seem to have Kukai wrapped around your finger," Nadeshiko told her.

Amu looked at Nadeshiko quizzically.

"I don't know what happened between you two, but he blushes every time you mention it. I haven't seen Kukai blush around a girl in quite a long time. To be honest, I thought he was gay for a while," Nadeshiko told her.

Amu began coughing. "I haven't gotten that feel from him at all. Well, other than the fact that he likes dancing."

"Yeah, I wouldn't have expected you to have. Before you came, though, he never really showed any romantic interest in a girl."

"Uhh, let's clarify here. No-one has any romantic interest in anyone," Amu told Nadeshiko.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. I'm absolutely not interested in him at all."

"That doesn't mean he's not interested in you."

"Well he can go fuck himself if he is. Got it? God. I can't freaking wait until Thursday to get you guys out my hair."

Nadeshiko simply smiled and followed Amu as she entered the dorm.

Amu was, like normal, swamped with stories from Ami. Ami was very interested in hearing about her first day at her job. Amu made sure to tell her all about the dancing.

* * *

><p>Amu started work at 9am on Sunday too. Amu used the opportunity to make sure she perfected the dance. The team split up into their various partners as each partnership was at different stages in the dance. Tadase was still having quite a bit of difficulty with the dance. Amu slowly took him through the steps, often holding his hand and wrapping her arms around him.<p>

"Are you jealous?" Nadeshiko quietly asked Kukai as they were taking a short break.

"Of?"

"Of Amu being with Tadase, of course."

"Of course not. I'm not so jealous I don't share my best friend with other people," he told her sarcastically.

"You know that's not what I was talking about," Nadeshiko said, rolling her eyes.

"Look, I don't know what you think is between me and Amu, but whatever you think, it's not that."

Nadeshiko looked at Kukai in disbelief, "I don't believe you. I think you **like **her."

Kukai scoffed, "Believe what you want."

By midday Tadase had gotten the dance down pretty well. Now all that was left for the pair was to practice the dance to make sure it was perfect. It was especially important for Amu. She had the centre stage for the dance. The two practiced hard and, by the end of the day, had the dance down pretty well.

* * *

><p>Amu arrived at form class early Monday morning. Ami said she wanted to go meet with the lower school choir director, as she wanted to join the choir club. Amu didn't feel like going back to the dorm after dropping Ami off, and so decided to just head towards class. While she was heading towards class, she was thinking about what clubs she could join. She had expected to be the only one when she arrived, but was shocked to see Ikuto sitting in a chair at the back. He looked up and saw her when she entered.<p>

"I wouldn't have expected you to be here this early," he told her.

"Uhh… yeah, well, you see, I had to drop Ami off early 'cause she needed to talk to the choir director about joining a club, so yeah, I decided to just come to class early," Amu said very quickly.

"Stop babbling," he told her.

"I'm sorry…" Amu said very quietly.

"You actually know how to apologize?" he asked playfully.

Amu just stared at the ground.

"C'mon. I like the fierce you better. The you that likes to take control."

"That's the me that almost got us expelled."

Ikuto simply shrugged his shoulders. "You don't need to apologize."

"We could have both been expelled. We're actually lucky it was those guys that found us and not someone else. Most of the people at this school hate me and would jump on the chance to have me expelled," Amu told him.

"Well, if we're expelled then we're expelled, right? There's nothing we can do about it, so stop worrying."

Amu still stayed staring at the floor.

"Besides," he told her quietly, "I liked it."

Amu's eyes widened and she looked up at him to see him laughing. She quickly realised he was trying to cheer her up, and started laughing too.

"Anyway…" Amu begun, "I don't want to talk to you again. People might get the wrong idea about me."

Ikuto shrugged his shoulders, "Okay then. Somehow, though, I think we'll definitely end up having to talk to each other again. We can't ignore each other forever."

Amu turned around and went to sit in her desk at the front of the room. She sat down just in time, as she heard the door open and someone walked in. She looked up to see it was Kukai and Tadase.

"Wow, you're here early Amu!" Kukai exclaimed happily.

"You guys are too," Amu told him.

"Well, we were both up early, so we decided we may as well come to school," Tadase told her. "By the way, Amu, have you thought about my offer about the club at all?"

Amu remembered Tadase's offer for her to join the student council.

"Uhh… yeah. I decided that I'm never going to do it, so you can stop annoying me?"

"Well you do have to join a club soon," Tadase told her.

"Yeah, I know. Do you have a list of clubs or something?" Amu asked him.

"Yeah, I do. I'll give it to you at recess if you want. I'll delete all the clubs that are full, though."

Amu simply nodded. Tadase took his seat next to Amu, and Kukai next to Tadase. Before long, however, Kukai moved his seat to in front of Amu's desk.

"So, are you nervous about the athletics carnival?" He asked her.

"Nope, I am gonna beat you. Then you guys will leave me alone. By the way, if you break your promise I will tie your balls in a knot and deep fry them." Amu said the last part seriously. Kukai and Tadase both had terror in their eyes.

"Well, same to you if you break your promise!" Kukai told her with his goofy smile on his face.

Amu whacked him across the head playfully, "Just because I have more balls than you doesn't mean I'm a guy."

"Ooh. Nice one," Kukai said, yet he still had a smile on his face. This guy always seemed to be happy.

"By the way, Kukai said we're lucky," Tadase told Amu.

"How so?"

"Ohh! About the dance for Easter," Kukai began, "It's a damn easy dance. Especially compared with some of the ones we've had to do. Not only that but it doesn't have any solos or anything. Just a straight dance."

Had Amu been paying attention to Ikuto, who was still sitting at the back of the classroom, she would have noticed him start to listen to their conversation.

"Yeah, I agree that it's an easy dance," Amu told him.

"Geez, you guys can stop making me feel inadequate now. I had trouble remember?" Tadase told them.

Kukai started laughing, "Sorry buddy."

Suddenly, people started filing into class and taking their seats. Nadeshiko walked into class and saw Kukai sitting in her seat.

"Do you wanna get out of my seat, or shall I sit on you?" She asked Kukai.

Kukai pouted, "Pweaseee. I wanna sit next to Amu, my friend as of Thursday."

Amu rolled her eyes, "You're really confident aren't you. Let me tell you something. I haven't even shown you my skill at sports yet."

Kukai looked at her surprised, "And what makes you think I've shown you the extent of my skill?"

'_I hope she was bluffing' _Kukai thought.

'_I hope he's bluffing' _Amu thought.

"Well I guess we'll see on Thursday," Amu told him.

Nadeshiko coughed to draw attention to herself.

"Oh woops, I forgot you were there Nadeshiko!" Kukai told her with his trademark grin on his face.

"I noticed."

"Pwease let me sit next to Amu?" He pouted while he asked. Amu had to try not to laugh while he did this.

Nadeshiko sighed before saying, "Well, okay then. You owe me, though."

Nadeshiko quickly left to take her seat near the middle of the room.

* * *

><p>At recess, as promised, Tadase bought Amu the list of clubs she was able to join. He quickly left afterwards.<p>

Amu scanned the list. Wow! How boring. Chess club? Computer club? No wonder they weren't full. Who would want to join lame clubs like that? Obviously most of the good clubs were full. The only ones that caught her attention were the dance club, cooking club and art club. The dance club, however, had Nadeshiko and Kukai so there was no way in hell she was joining the dance club. That just left cooking club and art club. Amu pondered on the decision for a while before she was interrupted by a voice.

"So, you're deciding which club you want to join?"

Amu looked up to see it was Nikaido, her form teacher.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"I like you Amu, you're an interesting student."

Amu looked at him oddly, "Interesting? That's a… different way to put it. Why don't you tell the truth? I'm a shitty student and you wish I was in a different class."

"Nope, not at all. Actually, I like you in the class. It makes things more interesting."

Amu looked at him oddly again, "You are one weird teacher… Anyway, why did you come talk to me?"

"Oh, right. I was looking at your results from your various subjects so far. Despite being a trouble student, you are doing exceedingly well in all learning areas. Actually, your maths teacher thinks that you should move to a higher class."

"Move to a higher class?"

"Yes, she's seen your work. You're obviously finding the work far too easily."

"Well, that's true. I don't want to move to a higher class, though. I'm happy where I am."

"Why don't you want to move?"

"Well, all higher classes than where I am have an exam. I think doing an exam for a class that I'm not interested in pursuing later in life is just pointless stress."

Nikaido smiled, "Well, as long as you've thought about it."

"Yeah, but thanks for your help," Amu told him sincerely.

* * *

><p>Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday all passed by very quickly. By Wednesday not much work was being done, as people were just so excited for the athletics carnival. The morning of the athletics carnival Yaya and Nadeshiko had to leave the dorm quite early to help set up everything. Amu did not sleep much that night, she was nervous about the outcome of the carnival. This carnival really decided her future at the school. If she lost she would be forced to be their friend. Could she really become their friend; she had a feeling that if she was forced to be their friend then she might not be able to stop herself from trusting them, or actually having feelings for them. She had learnt through her past experiences; trust and emotions are dangerous.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well there you have Chapter 4 of Facades. It was the shortest chapter so far (Not including the prologue, of course since that isn't a real chapter.) so apologies for that! It was a pretty slow chapter too. Nothing overly major happened, it was just setting up a lot of things. Just wait for next chapter, though… I think you guys will like the next chapter. Lots of developments… I mean lots… Not to mention, it's a pretty long chapter.**

**This chapter is really the last chapter of the introductory chapters. Starting from Chapter 5 everything really starts moving, and it gets pretty hectic pretty quick. **

**Some ideas for reviews: **

**As you saw, Amu is going to start trying to avoid Ikuto… how do you feel about it? How long will it last? Why will they start talking to each other again? **

**What's up with Tsukasa? There seems to be a lot of unanswered questions about him… (Just so you know, they won't be answered until almost the end of the story… And more questions will come far before answers.) **

**And of course, the obvious one, what do you think the result of the athletics carnival will be…? Let me warn you beforehand, it might not turn out how you think… I never like to be overly predictable…**

**Thanks for reading! A review would be appreciated. xD I'll see you next weekend... (Not sure which day or what time I'll post it yet.)**


	6. Chapter 5: Wicked Witch Chara Part 1

**A/N: Here you go everyone! The long awaited (Well, I was waiting for it, I dunno about you) chapter 5! The story really starts kicking up now. Lots of things come, all in a bang. Instead of building it up more, I'll just let you read and find out for yourself. :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5: Wicked Witch Chara Part 1<strong>

Amu left her dorm and dropped Ami off quite early. She couldn't just sit around while judgment day was at hand. After dropping Ami off, she headed towards the oval. She saw Tadase, Kukai, Nadeshiko and Yaya setting up the fields. There were also some teachers helping them including Nikaido, Mr. Anderson and the principal. Amu began walking over towards Kukai. She all of a sudden slammed her hands into his shoulders, and he jumped into the air. Amu couldn't help but start cracking up, as did Nadeshiko and Tadase.

"You ready for the big day?" Amu asked, a smile on her face.

"Yeah, I sure am. I'm so happy that you'll finally be my friend," he told her, confident as he spoke.

"Pretty confident for someone who just had the shit scared out of them."

Kukai laughed half-heartedly. "Well, since you're so confident, how about you help us set up!"

Amu laughed, but agreed nonetheless. Before long the group has all the pits set up for jumps, areas for throwing events set up, the 100m and 200m events marked out. The 400m, 800m and 1600m were all just multiple laps of the 200m. Additionally, high jump mats were set up too. The oval was soon bustling with a multitude of students from year 11.

The principal stood at the front with a microphone, and addressed everyone. He told people to try and score points for their house groups, but also to have a good time in general. Mr. Anderson then got up next and he told people to try their best. Amu, however, could tell Mr. Anderson's speech was so fake. He didn't care if people had fun; he wanted his students to beat everyone.

"Do you guys have house groups?" Amu asked Nadeshiko after Mr. Anderson had finished talking.

"Oh, yeah we do. You probably haven't been told your house group yet. Well, you can ask what group you're in later. I'm in yellow," she told Amu.

"I'm in green!" Kukai told Amu excitedly.

"I'm in blue," Tadase told her.

"Anddd… I'm in red!" Yaya told her.

"You're all in different groups?" Amu asked.

"Yep, we sure are. It's actually lucky, though. Being on different teams means we can be happy no matter who wins; since it's always one of our friends!" Kukai said happily. He had a way of always looking on the bright side of things.

They heard an announcement over the loudspeaker, "The first event of the day is the long jump. All participants please head over to the long jump pits."

Amu, Nadeshiko and Kukai bid goodbye to Tadase and Yaya, who weren't in this event.

'_Good, long jump is first. I should be able to beat Kukai at this. If I can crush his confidence early, hopefully I can win.'_

There were three separate pits, and the contestants were spread out across the three pits. Amu, Kukai and Nadeshiko all went to the same pit as each other. After a few other people had jumped, it was Nadeshiko's first attempt. Nadeshiko slowly swung her body back and forth before setting into an all out sprint. Just before the edge of the pit she leapt through the sky, before landing close to the other side of the pit. It was definitely the furthest anyone had leapt so far. Amu was questioning whether even she could beat the score.

Amu and Kukai listened closely to the measurers who called out her score, "Fujisaki Nadeshiko, attempt number 1, 4 metres and 64 centimetres."

Amu raised her eyebrows in surprise. That was a pretty good jump. Amu's jump was next. Amu breathed deeply before charging into a sprint. Just before the line she jumped. As Amu landed, she almost fell backwards. In an attempt to avoid falling backwards, she jumped forwards, landing on her stomach. She exited the pit and waited for the judges to call out her result.

"Hinamori Amu, attempt number 1, 4 metres and 56 centimetres."

Amu mentally cursed when she heard this result. She knew she could do better than that. She still had two more attempts. She **had **to win this. She didn't want to think of the consequences of losing. Kukai was the next jumper. He told everyone in the line to move back a few metres, so he had a longer running distance. Kukai leant down low before breaking into his sprint. When he approached the line he jumped. Amu noticed that he jumped slightly too early. It would take off a good 5 centimetres from his score.

"Souma Kukai, attempt number 1, 4 metres and 88 centimetres."

Amu mentally cursed again. That was **with **his stuff up. Amu really had to step up her game.

Before long, Nadeshiko's turn came around again. Nadeshiko didn't do as good as her first attempt, this time only scoring 4 metres and 30 centimetres. Amu's turn was next. Amu sprinted and jumped just on the line. As Amu landed, she could feel that it was a good jump. She just hoped it was better than Kukai's.

"Hinamori Amu, Attempt number 2, 4 metres and 96 centimetres."

Amu mentally cheered. She had beaten Kukai's score.

"Hmm, pretty good Amu," he told her, "Maybe I'll have to bring out my real skill…"

'_He's bluffing, he's bluffing.'_

He jumped, seemingly much further than last time.

"Souma Kukai, attempt number 2, 5 metres and 28 centimetres."

Amu collapsed her head into her hands. She had no way of beating that. Her 2nd attempt was her personal best; to beat it by over 30 centimetres would be a miracle.

Nevertheless, Amu began her sprint. She jumped, and it was a damn good jump. It was right to the back of the pit, around the area Kukai had jumped last attempt.

"Hinamori Amu, attempt number 3, 5 metres and 30 centimetres."

"YES!" Amu screamed. She, however, bought her attention back to the pit, as Kukai's final attempt was next.

Kukai began his sprint, but was interrupted when he heard a voice.

"I'm really sorry, Amu, but I have to say this. I'll feel guilty if I don't," the principal began, "As much as I'm cheering for Amu in this match, her foot stepped over the line in her last jump. Her last jump cannot be counted."

Amu felt her heart drop. Had she really stepped over the line? That meant she had just lost the first event. On top of the fact she had lost, it was one that she was confident at winning. The score was now 1-0. Amu shook the thoughts out of her head. She just had to do better at the next events. Kukai took his final jump but only jumped 4 metres and 60 centimetres. The judges from the three pits all came together and began corroborating their data.

Meanwhile, the next event was shot-put. Amu began to worry. Shot-put was something she knew she was bad at. She went over to the far right bay, as did Kukai.

"Oh? You're doing shot-put too?" Amu heard a voice from behind her ask.

Amu spun around and saw Ikuto standing behind her.

"Ikuto…" Amu began.

"Ikuto!" Kukai yelled, "What do you want?" he asked harshly.

"I was just talking to Amu here."

"Well, you can piss off."

Amu sat like a stunned mallet as the two exchanged blows. She wanted to know why there was so much hate between the two of them. They seemed like the types that would get along with each other.

Before long, though, the event started. Amu was first up out of the three of them. Amu grabbed the heavy shot put and rested it on her shoulder. She began to sway back and forth before finally releasing it, pushing her whole body forward as she did. She felt like it was quite a strong throw.

"Hinamori Amu, attempt 1, 8 metres and 10 centimetres."

Amu closed her eyes in anger. It felt like a really good throw, yet a throw like that wouldn't hold a candle to Kukai.

"Souma Kukai, attempt 1, 10 metres and 2 centimetres."

Amu lined back up for her second attempt, and Kukai came up behind her. "Oh, I did so bad. Did you see my throw? I only got 10 metres. That's so bad," he told her.

He was interrupted however, by the judges who called out, "Tsukiyomi Ikuto, attempt 1, 11 metres and 15 centimetres."

Kukai cursed, "I'll have to take this seriously now. You aren't the only one I want to beat, Amu."

"Hinamori Amu, attempt 2, 9 metres and 15 centimetres," Amu inwardly cringed. She knew that shot put was not her best event.

Kukai's turn was next. When he stepped into the bay, he had a serious look on his face. Amu could tell he really wanted to beat Ikuto.

"Souma Kukai, attempt 2, 14 metres and 82 centimetres." Amu's eyes widened when she heard this. Holy shit! That was far. She knew he was strong, but that was taking it to another level.

"Tsukiyomi Ikuto, attempt 2, 12 metres and 83 centimetres." Kukai celebrated quietly when he saw Ikuto's score.

It wasn't long before Amu's final turn came around. Amu knew she had no hope in hell of gaining 6 metres from her last throw. She figured she might as well try best, though. Amu threw the shot put, and she saw it go past the marked white line on the ground. The white line indicated the 10m mark. That was a good sign.

"Hinamori Ami, attempt 3, 10 metres and 79 centimetres." Amu smiled to herself hearing this result, although it didn't beat Kukai's it was still a pretty good result. Amu found herself worrying though, as the score was now 2-0.

Kukai told Ikuto he could go before him. Ikuto stepped up to the bay and threw the shot-put.

"Tsukiyomi Ikuto, attempt 3, 13 metres and 5 centimetres." Kukai celebrated after hearing this result. He had beaten both Ikuto and Amu.

Kukai stepped up to the line to take his last shot, and maybe make a personal best.

"Souma Kukai, attempt number 3, 15 metres and 3 centimetres."

Kukai celebrated; breaking the 15m mark was a pretty major achievement. Not to mention the fact he was beating Amu 2-0. At this rate they would be friends in no time.

After the shot put was finished, she heard them announcing that the medals for the long jump were going to be handed out. She saw the principal at the front being the one to announce the awards.

"In third place for the bronze medal is… Hinamori Amu with a score of 4 metres and 96 centimetres!" Amu sighed as she walked up to the front to collect her medal. She should be proud of getting a bronze medal, but the fact it wasn't better than Kukai just made her depressed. Amu took her place on the podium before thinking for a minute. She had beaten Nadeshiko. If she had only gotten bronze, who had gotten silver?

"In second place for the silver medal is… Yamada with a score of 5 metres flat!" Amu saw him walk up to the front to collect his medal. He took his place on the other side of the podium to Amu.

"And… in first place is Souma Kukai with an amazing score of 5 metres 28 centimetres!" Kukai, too collected his medal and took his place on the podium. A few people too photos and the three were then allowed to go back to the crowd.

The next event was the 1500 metre race. It was a 200m circular track, and participants simply had to do 7 laps, followed by the 100m straight. Participants could merge lanes only after the first lap. Amu was pretty confident with her long distance running. She began making her way over to the event, and saw that Kukai, Ikuto and Yaya were all also participating. Amu was surprised, to say the least, when she saw Yaya.

"Uhh, Yaya, are you sure you can do this. 1500 metres is a long way…"

Kukai started laughing, "It'd be wise not to underestimate Yaya. She came 2nd only to me last year."

Amu raised her eyebrows in surprise. These people never ceased to amaze her.

The three all lined up on the line. They saw that the race just had everyone racing at the same time, and looked at who came first, second and third, and so on rather than actually timing. The participants were staggered. Amu and Yaya were both on the inside lane, while Kukai and Ikuto where on the second-most inside lane. They heard the guy fire, and took off. Ikuto and Kukai maintained their lead until around ¾ of the way through the first lap. Yaya and Amu slowly caught up to the two boys. Yaya took the lead, with Amu close behind. Kukai was then 3rd, with Ikuto in 4th. They finished the first lap in this fashion, and Kukai and Ikuto both then merged into the innermost lane. Yaya kept up a decent pace for the next 4 laps. Yaya knew how to strategically play this game. By getting in front early, she could set the pace to match her own wishes. As long as it didn't get too slow, they wouldn't easily overtake her. If they tried to overtake her, she could just speed up, disallowing them. This just meant it was a game of stamina. At the start of the sixth lap, Amu decided that it was time to take action, she attempted to go around the outside of Yaya to overtake her. Yaya stepped up the speed, though, and Amu was blocked. Kukai came up close behind Yaya, not allowing Amu to get back in behind. Amu knew that she had no choice but to go through with the overtake.

She stepped up the speed, and it was just enough that Yaya couldn't put her speed up that much. Yaya did know she had to conserve energy. This allowed Amu to get into first position. By the start of the 7th lap, Amu was really starting to feel the strain on both her legs and her lungs. Yaya, Kukai and Ikuto, too, were feeling extremely tired. They did not have the energy to overtake her. This would give Amu the advantage when going into the 100m sprint at the end. Yaya would be at least half a metre behind, with Kukai being a metre behind, and Ikuto being at least a metre and a half behind. On top of this, they would have to cut across the lanes to the outermost lanes, if they even wanted a chance to win. Although the distance wasn't great, it all added up to give Amu the advantage. The 7th lap was coming to an end. They were just going around the last bend. The four now got to the 100m sprint. Yaya, Kukai and Ikuto all cut across into separate lanes. Amu was leading, and she pushed her legs and lungs to the limit. She could not feel her legs anymore, but was simply pushing them as far as they could go. Despite her effort, she saw Yaya and Kukai quickly gaining on her from the corner of her eye. She willed her legs to go faster, but they didn't listen. Kukai and Yaya both overtook her about 10 metres before the end, Kukai in first, Yaya in second. Amu crossed the line in third, with Ikuto coming in 4th. Amu collapsed after she crossed the finish line, as did Yaya. Kukai and Ikuto were both leaning over, breathing heavily.

Of course, Kukai had won again. It made the score 3-0. Amu felt her hope of a winning quickly diminishing. The award presentation for both the shot put and the 1600m would now be held. In the shot-put Kukai came first, Yamada came in 2nd and Ikuto came in 3rd.

For the 1600m, Kukai won gold, Yaya won silver and Amu won bronze. The three of them were all lying on the grass after the award presentation.

"Geez… I forgot how much the 1600m takes out of you…" Kukai began.

"Yeah, I know. It really gets your heart beating…" Yaya said.

Amu closed her eyes. She was really exhausted. She needed to win against Kukai, though. Her whole future at Seiyo depended on this.

"Hey, Amu, you alright?" Kukai asked her, seeing the distress on her face.

Perhaps it was because she was so tired, but she felt vulnerable. A tear slowly fell from one of her eyes. Yaya was quick to notice it, and hugged Amu. Despite Amu's efforts to push her away, Yaya held tighter.

"It's okay to cry. Crying let's everything out," Yaya told her, "Yaya likes to cry."

Amu laughed at Yaya's habit of referring to herself in third person. Although Amu had found it extremely irritating at first, the habit just seemed funny to her now.

"Why can I never win? I never come out on top…" Amu told them.

Kukai now hugged Amu too. "Let's call the bet off."

Amu looked at him, surprised, "W-why…? You're going to win…"

He smiled sweetly at her and Amu felt her heart jump, "I don't want to win at the expense of your happiness… But… do you really not want to be my friend that badly? So badly that you would cry in front of me when it looks like I may become your friend…"

Amu looked at his face, and she wished she could say yes. She just couldn't, however, say yes while he looked so helpless. His expression was so pained, "That isn't the reason. I think the reason is that I wish I **could **be your friend."

"Then why won't you?" Kukai asked sadly.

"I can't… I'm no longer capable of having friends."

"Everyone is capable of having friends!" Yaya told her, "No matter how far gone you think you are, no matter how much you've been hurt, people always want friends. No-one wants to be lonely all their life!"

"Even if I wanted to, it doesn't mean I can," Amu told her.

"Yes! It does! You can achieve whatever you want if you put your mind to it. I never thought I'd have such wonderful friends that I could rely on, but look at me now."

"You have to at least try Amu," Kukai told her, "You never know what you can achieve if you don't even try."

Amu felt another set of arms hug her from behind, "And of course we'll all be here for you even if you fall. We'll pick you back up again."

Amu recognised the voice as Nadeshiko's. From between Nadeshiko and Yaya she felt a fourth set of arms encase her. "Just as Kukai said, you never know what you're capable of if you don't try," Tadase told her.

The tears now could not stop flowing from Amu's eyes.

"What do you say we abandon the athletics carnival?" Kukai asked.

"Kukai abandoning the athletics carnival? Blasphemy!" Nadeshiko joked, "You really have fallen for her so bad that you would even abandon your precious sport, huh?"

Kukai's face grew red but he playfully hit Nadeshiko and denied all accusations. Amu smiled at the scene. Perhaps she really could get used to this. She slowly felt her consciousness fading.

* * *

><p>Amu awoke to see the four of them all sitting around her. Amu looked around and saw that she was in a beautiful garden. There was a beautiful white table, with many flowers scattered around. There was even a waterfall and mini river running through the garden.<p>

"Where are we?" Amu asked.

"Welcome to the student council's headquarters; the royal garden," Nadeshiko told her.

"It's so beautiful! This is seriously where you guys have your meetings?"

"Yeah, the one and only!" Kukai told her.

Amu then thought back to what had happened before she had passed out. She inwardly groaned that she revealed so much of herself to them.

"You don't need to worry about it," Tadase told her, "We're happy you cried in front of us."

"That's right! It's the first step to becoming friends," Kukai told her.

Amu stood up and took a step away from them all, "Okay guys I'm really sorry but this is all happening way too fast, so I'm gonna go now, bye bye!" Amu said quickly before running away. Kukai was about to chase after her, but Nadeshiko held him back.

"Let her go," she told him.

Amu had decided to sleep early that night, which meant, conveniently for Amu, she was able to avoid Nadeshiko and Yaya. While she was lying on her bed she reflected on everything that had happened today. She had decided to be friends with Kukai, Nadeshiko, Yaya and Tadase, but she couldn't bring herself to become friends with them. She just couldn't allow herself to trust so easily again. Perhaps, though, this was a good first step.

* * *

><p>The next day Yaya and Nadeshiko were already gone when Amu awoke. She got dressed and had breakfast with Ami before leaving. After dropping Ami off, she began walking towards the year 11 area. Suddenly, she was pushed off the concrete path by a splitting crowd. They were making a path down the middle. Amu was curious as to what was going on.<p>

"The guardians are making a reappearance!"

"I wonder what the special occasion is."

"I haven't seen them in ages!"

"They're so cool!"

Amu looked down the concrete path to see the student council walking down the path. They were dressed fully in their proper clothes and were each wearing their cape.

"Uhh… isn't that just the student council?" Amu asked a girl next to her.

"**Just the student council?**" The girl asked with ridicule in her voice, "Hardly! When they are all gathered together and are wearing their full uniform they are known as the guardians. That's since they are the protectors of the students! They are so cool!"

Amu looked at the girl who now seemed to be daydreaming before rolling her eyes. She had always known that Tadase, Kukai, Nadeshiko and Yaya were popular, but when they were in their 'guardian' formation, they seemed to be on a whole different level.

During form period, Amu noticed that none of the guardians were in class. The class began, and Nikaido was telling them about the results from the athletic carnival. He was soon interrupted, however, when the guardians walked into class.

"Oh my gosh! It's the guardians!"

"So cool!"

"Wow!"

"Sorry to interrupt your class, Nikaido," Tadase begun, "But we are here to extend an official invitation to Amu Hinamori. Amu, we wish to offer you a position with the guardians. Please meet us in the royal garden afterschool today."

Tadase began walking over towards Amu before handing her a letter. He then turned his back on her and began to walk out of the class. The other guardians followed behind him.

"Oh my god! You're so cool Amu!"

"Amu, you're the coolest!"

"Cool and spicy!"

Amu turned her head to see that everyone in the class was talking about her as if she was some kind of goddess. Even the bitchy girls who were previously bitching about her were now praising how cool she was. Could being a guardian really have that much influence that it made people so fickle? Amu ignored everyone's incessant chattering. Nikaido tried to get people to pay attention, but it was hopeless. People were so excited by the revelation.

Amu tried to pay attention to the homework she had to finish off for maths; but it was hard when people were constantly talking about her. Luckily, the bell rang before long. Amu gathered up her materials before heading towards her English class. She noticed Kukai was already in class when she got there. He no longer had his cape on. Amu noted that people who were previously talking about him as if he was some sort of god were now talking to him normally. Amu took her seat in her group with Yaya and Yamada. After Amu sat down, Kukai came over and sat down too.

"Okay, what is up with everyone?" Amu asked.

Kukai raised an eyebrow at her.

"Before they were talking about you two," Amu pointed to Yaya and Kukai as she told them this, "As if you were some kind of god and goddess. Now they're talking to you as if you're a normal student. The people at this school are bloody weird."

"That's the power of the guardians," Kukai told her, "It's mainly because of Tadase."

"Because of Tadase?" Amu questioned.

"Yep!" Yaya told her proudly, "Tadase might seem like a real player, but he cares about everyone in this school."

Kukai added on to what Yaya was saying, "Let us show you something at recess."

Amu raised her eyebrow, but agreed nonetheless.

Before long their teacher began talking and told them that for the whole of today they would be allowed to practice their role plays, which they would be performing next Wednesday.

"Well, okay guys. Since we finished the script on Wednesday, let's go practice. We can practice in the hallway so people don't see us," Yamada told them. The four of them got up from their seats and began to leave the classroom to practice. Yamada handed a script to each of them.

Kukai had the role of the prince, Yaya had the role of the princess, Amu was the evil witch while Yamada was the princess' father.

"Ahh, my lovely Princess Yaya, come, let us find you a suitable bachelor!" Yamada began.

"Oh, father, I already told you I am already in love!" Yaya replied desperately.

"But I am yet to meet this so called David," Yamada told her before pointing at a boy across the ballroom, "Look at the charming Prince Kukai! He would make a perfect match for you!"

Yaya's eyes wandered over to his figure, "Oh, he looks so magnificent! I think I am in love!"

"But what about David?" Yamada asked her.

"Forget about David! His hair is not as divine. His eyes are not so mesmerizing, only the charming prince Kukai could be a match for me!" Yaya said in an overly dramatic way.

Yaya began to walk across the hallway to where Kukai was standing. She curtsied when she approached him, and his eyes locked onto hers.

"You have magnificent eyes," he told her.

"As are yours," she told him back.

From a distance, Amu was watching. Amu scoffed and turned away.

"Good work guys!" Yamada yelled, "That was a good scene. Now the next scene starts with Amu alone, so you two can take a break."

Amu was sitting, moving her hands in a circular motion to indicate that she was supposed to be mixing a potion, "Mwahahaha," Amu laughed unconvincingly.

"Oh, please," Yaya told her, "That's such a bad evil laugh. It should be like this."

Yaya did an evil laugh that rivalled that of a real witch, if there was such a thing. Amu rolled her eyes at Yaya's antics, but copied her laugh before continuing with the script.

"I will poison an apple with this potion and feed it to the lovely princess Yaya! She will pay for what she has done to me!" Amu said in a wicked tone. Amu imitated the action of getting on a broomstick and pretended to fly into the castle. She imitated taking an apple from a fruit basket and dipping it in the poison she had in a jar. She then placed it back in the fruit bowl, before casting a spell on herself. Yaya began walking down the hallway to see Amu.

"Oh, hello mother!" She told her.

"Ahh, my dear Princess Yaya, eat this apple!" Amu said in a sickly sweet tone.

"Oh, thank you so much mother. It sure looks delicious. It's so shiny!"

"Oh yes… it will definitely be delicious," Amu told her.

Yaya imitated taking a bite from the apple before falling to the floor.

"uhh, Yaya are you alright? That didn't look like a fake fall…" Amu said worriedly.

"Oh! Don't worry I'm fine!" Yaya told her from the floor.

Amu looked at her nervously before looking back to the script which was in her hand.

"Mwahahaha, now the prince is all mine!" Amu flew away on her broomstick.

Yamada began clapping again, "That was good, guys!"

Amu eyed him suspiciously, "I know this is supposed to be a muck-up, but this is really weird."

"Well, you were helping to create the script, Amu!" Yaya told her.

"Yeah, that's right. I mean, of course you weren't slacking off and letting us do all the work, right?" Kukai asked playfully.

Amu laughed nervously before replying, "No, of course not."

"Then you don't have any right to complain," Kukai told her as he smiled cheekily.

"Well, let's start the next scene. Yaya, lie back down. Kukai, you enter at the start of this scene," Yamada told them.

Yaya proceeded to lie back down on the floor. Kukai was walking normally, when suddenly he spotted Yaya lying on the ground. He feigned surprise.

"Oh, my lovely Yaya! How could this be so?" He knelt down besides her sleeping body, "I love you so much, my lovely Yaya!"

Amu entered the scene from behind Kukai, "Why is it always Yaya? Why can it never be me? Life is so unfair."

"You must be the evil witch who cast this spell on the lovely Princess Yaya!"

"Yes, it was I."

Kukai stood up and charged at Amu. He knocked her backwards, and she feigned hitting her head on the wall before slumping to the ground. He then went back to Yaya and knelt beside her, "My lovely Yaya. Goodbye…"

He slowly leant down besides her and leaned in to kiss her. Amu opened one of her eyes so she could look on at the scene. Suddenly, Yamada interrupted.

"Cur! What are you doing to my daughter?"

Kukai quickly stood up, "My lordship. This spiteful witch has cast a spell on your daughter to make her fall into an eternal sleep."

Yamada looked at Amu before looking back to Kukai, "Get this witch out of my presence!"

Kukai quickly ran over to Amu before dragging her away. Yamada looked into his daughter's eyes, which were closed, "My beautiful Yaya… how could this happen to you?"

This time Kukai was the one to clap, "Good scene guys! Very emotional! By the way, Amu, I wasn't gonna actually kiss her, you don't have to get so jealous that you had to check," he told her playfully.

"That wasn't why I was looking! I was making sure you guys did a good job!"

"Anyway, just one more scene guys," Yamada told them, "Kukai and Amu, your spotlight."

Amu layed back on to the floor, and Kukai was standing over her.

"You evil witch," Kukai told her.

Slowly, Amu's eyes opened and she looked at Kukai who was now kneeling beside her.

"Why did you do it?" He asked her.

"She is the evil one, not I!" Amu insisted, "She already has a lover!"

Kukai had a look of shock on his face, "Who is this lover you speak of?"

"It is none other than my ex-lover David. We were happily in love, but then she came along and whispered her seductive poems to him. He fell in love with her and left me. Do you not see that it is not I, but her that is the evil one?"

Kukai looked at her with soft eyes, "Is this true?"

"Aye, it is… Since she had ruined me, I decided I would ruin her. She fell out of love with David and fell in love with you. I had decided that I would steal you from her. Yet, my plan failed. You still loved her even when she fell into her sleep. I saw your caring nature; it was so different to that of David's. That was when I knew I had fallen in love with you for real."

"Ahh, I see now that you are not the antagonist here. How wrong of me it was to love Yaya when all this time you had been the one suffering," Kukai told her passionately. Amu flipped her page of her script as she had just gotten to the end of the page. At the start of the next page she saw she was first to speak. On the third line of the page, however, she saw writing in italics, indicating an action rather than speaking. It stated '_Kukai kisses Amu.'_

After reading this, Amu immediately shuffled away from Kukai, "Okay, I don't know what you guys take me for, but there is no freaking way I'm doing that."

"Oh, come on, Amu. You were helping with the script, you should have known this was coming," Yaya told her.

"Okay, I'll admit it. I was lazing off and letting you guys do all the work. Report me to the teacher if you want, I am never going to kiss Kukai though, so either you report me to the teacher and find a replacement or you change the script," Amu told them adamantly, unwilling to bend on her decision.

Kukai started laughing, "We wouldn't actually do that. Besides, if we kicked you out we'd have to change the script anyway, 'cause there isn't any other girl I'd kiss."

Amu blushed after hearing this, but stayed firmly rooted to her spot.

"Okay, okay, we'll just delete the kiss from the script," Yamada told them.

"Thank you, Yamada," Amu told him.

"Awwh," Yaya whined, "You two are so cute, though!"

Amu glared at Yaya, "We **are not** cute!"

"Okay, guys, let's focus again. Back to practice," Yamada told them.

Amu went back to her position on the ground, and Kukai kneeled beside her.

"Prince Kukai, I love you."

"And I love you too, my lovely Amu," Kukai told her. This was supposed to be his cue to kiss her, but instead he grabbed her hand and pulled her up, "Now, shall we go confront the king?"

"Yes, let us."

They appeared in front of King Yamada, who was still leaning over his daughter Yaya. Yamada looked up to see that Kukai had bought Amu back into his presence, "Why have you bought this witch back into my presence?"

"She is my true love," Kukai told the king.

"And what of my daughter?"

"I have no love for her anymore. She will have to await a kiss from a different prince before she awakes. I'm sure David would be happy to awake her."

"David is no prince!"

"Well, she should have thought of that earlier, huh?" After Kukai told him this, he took Amu's hand in his and they happily skipped out of the castle.

"And they all lived happily ever after," Amu said to the audience, or lack thereof, "Except the princess and the king."

After Amu had said this the four all celebrated a successful first reading of the script. They practiced again multiple times that lesson, before it was soon time for next class.

* * *

><p>At recess, like Amu had promised, she went to go and see Kukai and Yaya.<p>

"We'll show you something… you have to be very quiet," Kukai told her.

The three of them walked into the library. The library bought back memories for Amu. She hadn't been in here since **that **incident with Ikuto. She bought her mind back to the task at hand. Kukai and Yaya led her to the left-hand side of the library. Amu had never been to the left-hand side. She saw in the corner there was a Forbidden section. That happened to be right where Kukai and Yaya were leading her. They crouched to the floor when they got to the entrance to the forbidden section. Kukai held a finger to his lip, indicating for Amu to be quiet. Amu, too, crouched and tried to listen to the voices she could hear talking inside the forbidden section. She could faintly hear Tadase and Nadeshiko's voice.

"I just don't know what we can do!" Tadase yelled. His voice was obviously distressed.

"Calm down Tadase, we'll think of something…" Nadeshiko told him soothingly.

"I don't understand how I didn't see this coming! I'm so useless!" Tadase scolded himself.

Kukai and Yaya slowly got up and indicated for Amu to follow them. They moved to the other side of the library.

"What's going on? Tadase sounded really distressed."

"Well, at the moment there's a middle school student who got suspended for the third time this year. That forbidden section contains all the student's records. Tadase has been in that section for the past 3 days in a row, excluding the sports carnival day, attempting to find a way that we can prevent him from being expelled. Let me tell you something else, Tadase has never met this student in his life before. Despite that, Tadase will beat himself up over being unable to help him. You might be wondering why Tadase was scolding himself for not seeing it coming?" Kukai asked her.

"Yeah…"

"Tadase has memorised the profile of every single student in this school. Every day he'll read up on any behaviour mishaps for **every **student. A lot of the time, we can intervene before it gets to the point of suspension, and especially expulsion. This one student, though, slipped under Tadase's radar. That's why Tadase was beating himself up."

Amu looked to the ground, "Wow… I never knew Tadase was so caring."

"Damn right he is. To the outside, it seems like he's just a figurehead. He's not really in charge of anything in the guardians. You'll notice at assemblies all he really does is introduce us and talk a bit. He isn't really in charge of anything in specific. But to those that know the workings of the guardians; Tadase is the one that does all the work. He will sometimes pull all-nighters trying to think of solutions to student's problems."

Amu couldn't help but admire Tadase after hearing Kukai's story, "Tadase is a really admirable person…"

"Yeah, he is. He's the type of person that acts behind the scenes, and often goes unaccredited for his actions. Deep down though, he does more than anyone else."

"Why does he reject so many girls, though?" Amu asked.

"You think he has time for a girlfriend? Tadase never leads any of those girls on, they're simply attracted to him 'cause he's part of the guardians."

The answer was obvious to Amu. This whole time, her first impression about Tadase had been wrong. Tadase had put up a façade, and Amu had been fooled.

* * *

><p>The day passed by quickly, and before long the day ended. Amu was required to go to the royal garden. She realised, however, that she would need to tell them that she needed to pick up Ami. While she was thinking about this, she realised that she had absolutely no idea how to find her way to the royal garden, despite having been there before. She got the envelope she had been given by Tadase earlier that day out of her bag. When she opened it she noticed three pieces of paper inside. The first was an official invitation to join the guardians. The second was a map of the campus, with the royal garden highlighted. Amu looked in the envelope at the third piece of paper, wondering what it could be. She could recognise it as Nadeshiko's handwriting. It read <em>Don't worry about picking Ami up, everything has been sorted. <em>Amu put the invitation and note back into the envelope and followed the map to arrive at the Royal Garden. When she opened the door, she saw that the guardians were all sitting at the table, dressed in their guardian uniforms.

"This time we officially welcome you to the royal garden," Tadase told her.

"SISSY!" Amu heard Ami yell before Ami ran up to her and engulfed her in a big hug, "Why didn't you tell me you were friends with the guardians? They are so cool!"

Amu laughed nervously before replying, "Well things are kind of complicated…"

"Well, it's rude to make a guest stand, come, sit down," Nadeshiko told her as she began to reach into her bag, "I baked cookies."

"Yay! I love Nadeshiko's cookies!" Yaya cried out.

"Yaya, do you wanna play with Ami while we sort things out with Amu?" Nadeshiko asked.

"Yay! Yaya likes playing! Let's go play Ami!" Yaya yelled excitedly as she run off with Ami.

"Well, Amu, have you decided if you'll join the student council?" Tadase questioned.

"I won't," Amu told him adamantly.

"Why not?" Nadeshiko asked her.

"It's just too soon… I'm sorry."

"Too soon? That's just an excuse," Kukai told her.

"Yeah, maybe it is an excuse," Amu began, "The truth is I'm scared, for me to join the guardians it would be like the change is finally becoming real. I'm scared of that."

The three fell silent for a minute, and Amu looked towards the ground. She felt Nadeshiko grab her head and look her in the eyes, "Amu… are you scared of change?"

Amu didn't answer her, but instead just stayed silent.

"Well, if you aren't going to join the student council, have you decided which club you're going to join?" Tadase asked her.

"I'm not sure yet… can I have some more time to choose?"

"Of course," Tadase replied.

"Thanks, Tadase, Nadeshiko, Kukai…" Amu stood up after saying this, and picked up her bag. "AMI!" She shouted loudly. Amu came running from around a corner, Yaya following shortly after. "We're going home Ami."

"Aww sissy! I was having so much fun, though!"

Amu smiled at her little sister, "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry Ami," Nadeshiko told her, "Yaya and I are coming home now too. We can watch T.V again, or maybe you have another song you learnt?"

"Yes! I do! I wuv you Nadeshiko sissy!"

Nadeshiko smiled at Ami, "I love you too."

The four of them left the royal garden and began walking back to their dorm, leaving just Kukai and Tadase in the royal garden.

"Did you figure out anything regarding that student?" Kukai asked him.

"Yeah, we did. I'm planning on going to the principal with the proposal on Monday, so I have all weekend to work on it. His expulsion at this stage is set for Tuesday… I've left it really late but I didn't really have a chance."

"Take a break this weekend," Kukai told him.

"Didn't you just hear me? I can't take a break!"

"As the jack's chair, I'm ordering you to take a break. I'll do the proposal."

"But, you haven't memorised the situation, there's no way you can do it."

"You have all night to explain it to me."

"Why do you do this for me, Kukai?"

"Really, Tadase… You don't even understand love when it's right in front of you."

Tadase laughed quietly, "Neither do you, buddy."

"I guess we always have been one and the same."

"Yeah, we have. We'll always be together," Tadase told him, "Let's go home."

'_Yeah… always be together… I'm not so sure about that… The time when we have to part may be closer than expected…" _Kukai thought to himself.

* * *

><p>The weekend passed quickly. On Saturday the performance at Garden City went well, and on Sunday they were just doing general dance practice.<p>

During form period on Monday, Nikaido told the students that the guardians had called an assembly. The students all took a chair to the auditorium and sat down, when Tadase walked up to the microphone and started speaking.

"We have just two main messages to inform you of today. The first is that we wish to remind students of the talent show on Friday. It will be held in the Auditorium after school. Our judges will be our principal, Tsukasa, vice principal, Mr. Jeffrey and year eleven teacher Nikaido. All kinds of acts are welcomed, from singing and dancing, to juggling and comedy. It should be a very joyous occasion."

"The second note is of a very different nature. We wish to inform students of a change to the line-up of the student council."

All the students in the auditorium's ears seemed to perk up at the same time. Amu looked closely at the guardians, who all seemed to have a grave look on their face.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: There you have chapter 5... what an ominous ending! **

**Well, now you guys know what I mean by 'the result of the athletics carnival might not be what you expect.' :P They called off the bet and wagged the carnival. Now, who guessed that? Cookies to anyone who got it right. Btw, apologies if any of the results for the athletics carnival seem way too good. I just went better than the best in my school got, but worse than the junior australian record. So, yeah. **

**Admittedly, Tadase's facade was pretty obvious. Oh, well. **

**Also, this was a pretty long chapter. I didn't even realise it was so long. Only about 700 words short of chapter one, even though Chapter one was two chapters combined. Well, I hope you enjoyed it.**

**Thanks to all my reviewers from last chapter; OHSHC Forever, CrossAngel-Chan, KakaSaku Chan, 2lazyforanaccount and Oakleafranger1217. Thanks to everyone else who put me on alert/favourited my story as well. :) I appreciate everything.**

* * *

><p><strong>Now, some things you might like to think about that you might want to include in your review:<strong>

**The chapter is named Part 1 for a reason. Part 2 doesn't come until later on in the story. Obviously the 'Wicked Witch Chara' refers to her role in the roleplay as the witch. She will come back as a wicked witch again later. What 'Wicked Witch' do you think she'll be? Why do you think she'll become a 'Wicked Witch'?**

**Amu totally broke down in front of the guardians! Is this the beginning of her opening up, or will she just have her guard up more now? **

**Related to the previous point... the breakdown seemed to be a total mood swing right? Trust me, that isn't the last of Amu's mood swings you'll see.**

**By the way, I'd like to point out one phrase from this chapter. When Nadeshiko asks Amu, "Amu… are you scared of change?" You'd do well to remember this phrase. What do you think? Do you think Amu is scared of change? If so, why is she scared of change?**

**And of course, what do you think of the ominous ending? Is Kukai really leaving? What's going on? **

**You'll have to wait until next weekend to find out! Bye for now. :)**


	7. Chapter 6: Friendly Chara

**Chapter 6: Friendly Chara**

The whole assembly was listening closely as Tadase announced there would be a change to the student council line-up.

"As most of you will know, since the student council was founded there have been 4 positions; the king's chair, the queen's chair, the jack's chair and the ace's chair. These positions are not required to be full at all times, however, although it is easier if they are filled," he told the assembly, "However, for the first time we are introducing a 5th position; the joker's chair. Everyone, please welcome Amu Hinamori, the first ever joker's chair."

When Amu heard this, she was shocked. Amu had, under no circumstances, ever agreed to this. It was all some plan to get her to join the student council.

"C'mon Amu, go up to the front."

"Go up Amu."

Amu couldn't ignore the voices that were coming from all around her. She slowly stood from her chair and walked into the middle where a gap in the crowd was before she began walking up to the front. When she got to the front, Nadeshiko stood from her seat, holding a guardian's cape in her hands, and extended her hands, offering the cape to Amu. Amu, however, knocked her hands away, the guardian's cape falling off her hands and onto the floor. Amu then stood on the cape for added emphasis.

"If you think I'm gonna wear your ugly cape, or join your crappy '**guardians**'," Amu begun, emphasising the word guardians with disdain, "You guys have got another thing coming." Amu turned her back on the student council and began walking down the gap in the crowd.

"So cool!"

"Cool and spicy!"

"Wow, I love her attitude."

Amu ignored the idle talk of the majority of the students present at the assembly. She didn't return to her seat, instead, walked right out of the assembly. Amu remembered that she had maths next period; unfortunately for her Nadeshiko, Kukai and Yaya were all in her maths class. Amu pulled out her mobile phone to check the time. She saw that she still had 15 minutes until maths, so decided to take a walk. She began walking slowly away from the year 11 block, without care or knowledge of where she was headed. The next time she looked up she found herself in front of an abandoned building. She quickly looked at her surroundings, and noticed that she was still on school campus. Since when had there been an abandoned building at the school?

Out of curiosity, Amu decided to enter the building. She pushed the doors open to find a pitch-black room. There were seats arranged in rows and columns, just like a movie theatre. She looked up, where she saw the roof. It wasn't an ordinary ceiling, though. She realised that she was inside a planetarium. The ceiling held a view of the night sky, stars twinkling brightly. Amu heard footsteps approaching from behind her. Scared, Amu turned around. She could not see the culprit. All of a sudden, Amu felt a hand touch her shoulder. Amu jumped, and the lights of the planetarium turned on, hiding the stars that were on the ceiling. Now, she could clearly identify who had been creeping up on her.

It was the principal.

"Oh, thank god. You scared me," Amu told him.

"I noticed," he told her, "I saw you during assembly."

Amu gulped. She was pretty sure what she had done was not within the school rules. She hadn't even thought of the consequences when she had acted, "I'm so sorry for my actions…"

He began laughing, "Don't worry, I'm not here to scold you."

Amu felt a sigh of relief wash over her when he said this.

"I am, however, curious. Why don't you want to join the student council?"

Amu stayed silent for a moment while she pondered on her answer, "I just think that by joining the student council it's like a commitment vow. I'm not ready for something like that yet. I'm not sure if I'll be ready for a long time…"

"I see…" he told her solemnly, "Do you believe in fate?"

"What?" She asked, hearing a seemingly random question. However, when she saw his completely serious face she decided it probably wasn't a joking matter. "Uhh… I guess a little bit?"

"Shall we play a game of fate?" He asked her.

"A game? What kind of game?"

"I want to give you a necklace," he told her as he pulled out a beautiful necklace from his pocket. It was in the shape of a lock. It had a gold casing, with four diamond hearts surrounding the centre in a flower-like pattern. In the middle of the hearts was a small keyhole.

"It looks so expensive… Why are you giving it to me?"

"As I said, for a game of fate. This lock is part of a couple's set necklace. I want you to wear it every day, but hide it in your shirt or something so people don't see it so easily. One day, when you find the boy who has the matching key, see if it fits the necklace. If it fits, I want you to kiss him."

"What?" Amu yelled, "Why would I agree to some ridiculous plan like this?"

"Fate. Let me tell you, this is a very expensive couple set necklace, so there are bound to be copies out there. Make sure that the key you see that matches is the original. Only the original will fit your lock."

"Very expensive? Like how expensive?"

"Well… the set was about a million."

"Oh… a million… WHAT? A MILLION?"

"Yeah, so it'd be wise not to lose it."

Amu gulped as she hung the necklace over her head, "What am I getting myself into…?"

Amu looked at him. He had a mysterious look on his face. Amu could never quite work out what was up with this guy. "Why would you do something like this?" She asked.

"The stars are strange things," he started, "From our view of them from Earth, sometimes we'll be able to see them, and sometimes we won't be able to see them at all. Some seem to shine brighter than the others; but they don't really. It's just a matter of perspective. If you view them from a different place, they shine in different ways. I'm just an observer of the stars. As an observer, I want to see all the different ways a star can shine."

Amu looked at him. She had asked a fairly simple question, yet had gotten a longwinded cryptic answer. She didn't really understand what he was talking about.

"On a different note," the principal began, "Are you going to enter the talent show?"

Amu thought about the question for a moment; she hadn't even thought about entering the talent show. "Why would I enter?"

"You're a really talented dancer. Let me tell you something. You can't tell anyone else this but there are talent scouts coming from multinational record labels for dancers and singers, as well as sports players and comedians. Actually, during the athletics carnival there were talent scouts here as well..."

Amu's eyes widened with shock when she heard this, "Did they recruit anyone?"

"Well, no. They had their eyes on a few people, though, including you. They were looking at Kukai, Ikuto, Yaya and Yamada."

Amu thought about what he said for a moment, "So, why didn't they recruit anyone?"

"Well… for **some reason **you, Kukai and Yaya all seemed to disappear after the 1600m. After you three left the talent scouts were very disappointed, so they left."

Amu laughed nervously. His tone implied he knew what had happened.

"Anyway, the point is that you could have a chance to be recruited as an actual star. I mean, your current job is pretty good. The thing is, though, that your work will never be recognised. You yourself will never be a star. Are you really happy just helping to make other random strangers happy?"

Amu thought about his question, but couldn't find an answer.

"Well, the talent show is a fun experience nevertheless, so even if you don't wish to be scouted, at least join for entertainment. By the way, let me write you a note explaining why you're late. It's already time for your next class."

"Oh, I completely lost track of the time and situation," Amu told him truthfully.

"Well, we can continue talking if you didn't want to go to maths for **some reason**," he told her.

"You should be a fortune teller…"

"Oh! You guessed my second career!"

"What? You're actually a fortune teller?"

"Well… I call it more of a hobby, but yes. I do the fortune telling for the magazine _Housewives' Knowledge_."

Amu started laughing at the magazine that he worked for.

"Well, before you start laughing, yes I may work for a magazine called _Housewives' Knowledge _but I'll let you know I happen to be quite a popular guy."

"Oh, really?" She asked him playfully.

"Yes… actually, do you want to come to my office for a few minutes? I have a few things to show you."

"Yeah, sure," Amu told him.

When they arrived at his office Amu noted that it was very organised. He pulled a magazine out of one of his draws, before flipping open to an ear-tagged page.

"See," he told her, showing her the magazine.

Amu read the title of the article, _The ten most eligible bachelors in Perth._ Amu looked down the page a bit to see his name as number 1.

"Oh wow!"

The two began laughing. Amu liked the fact she could get along with the principal easily.

"I heard you still haven't joined a club yet."

"I still can't decide what to join," Amu said, biting her lip.

"Why don't you join the dance club?" He asked.

"I really don't want to have to put up with Kukai, Nadeshiko and Yaya," told him brutally honestly. He started laughing as she told him this. The two continued their conversation in this fashion until the bell for recess rang.

"Well I'd better let you go to recess," he told her, "I hope to see you at the talent show!"

"I hope to be there," Amu told him as she left to recess.

Fortunately for Amu, she was not bugged by any of the guardians during recess. She knew she would have to face Kukai next period, however, as she had sport.

At the start of the sports period Mr. Anderson babbled on about how now that the sports carnival was over with they were going back to Soccer, which had been put on a temporary hiatus. After he finished talking Kukai began walking towards Amu.

"Yo, Amu!" He called out.

Amu simply shut her eyes and looked away.

"You can't blame us for trying, right?" He asked.

Amu rolled her eyes at his tendency to always look on the positive side of things, "Yeah, whatever.

"Does that mean you forgive us?"

Amu shrugged her shoulders. She heard him shout in happiness.

* * *

><p>Wednesday came before long. Monday night Ami had told her sister that she was going to be singing at the talent show. Amu had already decided she would dance for the show. Afterschool on Tuesday Amu had gone to her first session in the art club. The only person she had recognised was Rima. That was a positive for Amu, as it meant she didn't have to socialise with people. Wednesday coming around meant that it was time for them to perform their role-plays in English class. Their group had practiced several times after the lesson on Friday, and, by now, had perfected the script, including the slight adjustments from taking out the kissing scene. Amu's group was chosen as the last to present their role-play to the class.<p>

During the time in which earlier groups were acting out their plays, Amu's mind was drifting. She was thinking about everything that had happened in the small time since she moved to Seiyo academy. Could she really become a guardian? Guardians are made to protect others; how could she protect others when she herself needed protecting?

She began thinking of how everyone had helped her, despite her wish to push them away. Despite being totally cold to Nadeshiko, she still slipped food from her part of the pantry to Amu's and she still fed Ami when Amu passed out.

Yaya had always taken care of Ami. Amu would have never thought she would let someone else take care of Ami, yet, with such a hectic life, she realised that the choice was out of her hands.

Tadase had, like Amu, put up a façade. He pretended to be an asshole, when really, he was the most sweet and caring of the guardians according to Kukai. Yet, Tadase had said the same thing about Kukai. She recalled her conversation with Kukai after she had rejected him.

Kukai had made the biggest impact on Amu. He had been there for her through everything. He had always cheered her up when she was down, with that goofy grin of his and his overly positive attitude. That overly positive attitude was just what Amu needed though; perhaps it is truly as they say; opposites attract.

As these thoughts were passing through Amu's head, she was thinking of the offer to join the guardians. She had said she wasn't ready to trust again; she wasn't ready to give her soul to other people again yet. Yet, Amu realised she had lied all along. The truth was she had already given her soul to the guardians. What was she running from? Perhaps she was running from her own fear. The fear of being hurt again. Yet, she couldn't run forever.

Amu's thoughts were cut off when the teacher called them up to perform their role-play. The four of them got up, and into their positions. They had their props, although limited, ready. They performed the first scenes perfectly to the script. They had performed it well, and there weren't any major stuff ups.

The first part of the scene went well; Amu explained how Yaya had stolen her ex-boyfriend. Kukai realised that Yaya, and not Amu was the villain. Kukai was kneeling beside Amu as Amu was prepared to confess her love to him.

"Kukai… I'm truly in love with you," she told him.

Kukai looked down at her and smiled sweetly, "And I love you too, my lovely Amu."

Kukai grabbed Amu's hand in preparation to pull her up. However, Amu stopped him from pulling her up, and instead put one hand behind his head. His eyes widened, and he was obviously shocked by Amu's unknown actions. She pulled his head closer to hers, and their lips were within centimetres. Kukai quickly regained his composure and, realising that Amu had wished to revert back to the original script, leaned closer to her. His warm lips covered her cold ones. He could feel a chill down his spine as he kissed her. He wasn't sure if it was from the temperature of her lips, or the fact that he was finally kissing Amu. Amu felt her heart beating at what seemed like a million miles a minute. When his warm lips covered hers, she couldn't help but feel so loved; so wanted, so needed.

The two seemed to be lost in their own worlds, forgetting they were in the middle of a classroom, in the middle of a role-play. They didn't know how long they had been kissing, but obviously it was a bit too long for just a friendly role-play, as Yaya coughed on purpose, bringing them back down to Earth. Kukai broke apart from her, with great difficulty as he saw the look on Amu's face, clearly showing that she didn't want to part yet.

"Let us go confront Yaya's father," he told her.

Amu nodded; face still red, lips still warm, heart still beating. The two followed the rest of the role-play pretty well, not forgetting their lines despite the fact that their minds were elsewhere.

* * *

><p>Fortunately for Amu, after their role-play ended, the bell rang and Amu had food science next. This meant Amu could avoid answering Kukai's questions. She simply hoped they were doing a practical today, so she could avoid Yaya and Nadeshiko. She was sure Nadeshiko would have found out within the 5 minutes between classes. When she entered the food room, she saw the desks were arranged in theory set up, and mentally groaned to herself.<p>

She saw that Rima was already sitting on the edge seat. Since Amu needed to sit next to Rima, this meant there was a free seat next to her. She simply hoped it would be filled before Nadeshiko and Yaya came. Who was Amu kidding? Who would want to sit next to her except the guardians…?

Soon after Amu sat down Nadeshiko and Yaya walked in and, as Amu predicted, they began to walk in her direction. She was surprised, however, when Yaya sat next to her and not Nadeshiko.

"Well, thanks Amu," Yaya told her.

Amu looked at her questioningly, "For what?"

"You guys totally made our role play. The thing about things like role-plays is that teachers automatically compare groups to each other. By having that scene in there, our role-play was more memorable. Although, in terms of English skills and public speaking it didn't add anything, it will help us get a better grade simply due to the fact the speech was memorable. When something is memorable for an exciting event like that one, the human mind's perception of other events can be skewed. Yaya bets we'll get an A just 'cause you two guys almost got it on."

Amu coughed when she heard the last sentence, "We did not almost **get it on**."

"You were on your way to it before I stopped you guys. You realise you were kissing for about 30 seconds?"

Amu inwardly groaned; that was even more than she had expected.

"Plus, you two were pretty into it. If Yaya hadn't interrupted, and the time and place had been more appropriate, Yaya thinks it would have led to something naughty," she told Amu.

Amu rolled her eyes, trying to ignore what she said. It was proving difficult, though. Would Amu have really done anything more than kiss had it been a different setting? No. Amu knew that she wouldn't have. Despite how ready she was to trust people, she would never be ready to do **that**. Not for a long time.

"How come Nadeshiko's been silent the whole time?" Amu asked Yaya.

"Shh, she's just jealous," Yaya told Amu jokingly. Amu was unsure if there was truth behind the joke, though.

"Oh my god! Do you like Kukai Nadeshiko?" Amu asked in all seriousness. This question caused Nadeshiko to start cracking up.

"I thought he was gay before you came remember? I was just thinking… why is it you? I mean, look at him. He's the hottest thing around. You've done nothing but treat him like shit. Don't get me wrong, I'm not jealous… just curious. What is it about you that he likes so much?"

Amu raised her eyebrow at the question, "To be honest, I have no idea. Before you question Kukai, though, shouldn't you question yourself? Why have you been trying so hard to be my friend?"

Nadeshiko seemed to ponder on the answer for a few moments. She seemed to find her answer, and smiled when she did, "I already know my own answer. I can't tell you, though."

Amu eyed her suspiciously. A secret answer that she couldn't share? Very suspicious. The thought was quickly removed from her mind, however, when the teacher began talking. The lesson passed quickly after this, and lunch soon came.

As Amu began walking to her usual tree where she sat alone, she heard Nadeshiko call out to her from behind.

"Hey Amu! Why don't you sit with us in the royal garden today?"

Amu thought about it for a moment before replying, "Yeah, sure!"

This was obviously not the response Nadeshiko was expecting, as evidenced by her shocked expression. Amu jogged to catch up to Nadeshiko. The two then began walking to the royal garden. When they entered the royal garden through the large gates, everyone was already sitting waiting for them. There was a chorus of gasps when Amu walked through the gates with Nadeshiko.

"My, what are we going to be yelled at for today?" Tadase jokingly asked her.

Yaya looked at him disbelievingly, "You mean you** don't **know what happened between her and Kukai?"

Tadase was now interested.

"Oh, you're so behind the times!" Yaya told him, "They were totally making out on the floor of the English class during the middle of our role play. The kiss wasn't even in the script, but Amu initiated it. They were making out for about 30 seconds, and they totally forgot time and place. I had to cough to get them to remember they were in the middle of an assessment!"

Tadase looked at Kukai before holding a hand up to indicate a high-five.

"You dare high-five him and I swear I'll never kiss you again," Amu told Kukai warningly, her voice completely serious. Kukai dropped his hand which he had raised in preparation for the high-five.

"Does that mean you will kiss me again now?" He asked playfully.

"No. What gave you that idea? I wasn't gonna kiss you again anyway. I might as well just say it like that so that you don't high-five him."

"Dang. Good try, though, right?" Kukai asked her.

Amu rolled her eyes, "Anyway, I have a matter I want to address. I wish to join the student council."

The shocked expression on all four of their faces seemed to synchronise in the moment Amu stated that.

"Are you serious…?" Tadase asked.

"Am I dreaming?" Kukai asked her.

Nadeshiko and Yaya couldn't bring themselves to conjure any words at all.

"I know I'm a good kisser… but, I didn't think I'd change your views **that **much," Kukai told her.

"Oh, don't kid yourself," She told him, "It wasn't as a result of your stupid kiss. It was more like the kiss was a result of the decision. While everyone else was doing their role-plays I wasn't really listening, and I was thinking of everything that's happened in the two and a half weeks I've been at the school. Well… anyway, after a while of thinking I realised that I lied to you guys. I can trust again, I can become friends with you guys again. I realised this because I realised that I already **do **trust you. You guys already are my friends. That's when I realised; it wasn't that I couldn't, but that I was too afraid. I'm still afraid, I'll admit that… That's why I hope you guys will help me through this."

"Of course we will," Nadeshiko told her.

"If you ever need a crying session, just come to me!" Yaya told her happily.

Tadase looked at Amu smugly, "That doesn't explain why you kissed Kukai."

Amu silently cursed. She had hoped they would forget that part, "Well… it was just a way for me to confirm my trust in you guys."

"Oh… so by us guys you mean all of us right?" Tadase asked, a smirk on his face.

"Yeah, of course."

"Well then, of course you wouldn't mind if I kissed you too?" Tadase told her.

Amu stuttered for a moment, unable to think of words. Tadase slowly began bringing his face closer and closer. Kukai's eyes were wide open by now, yet Amu noticed Kukai did not intervene. Did Kukai really not care if she kissed Tadase? Perhaps Amu had overestimated Kukai's feelings. Did he really just want her as a friend?

Amu knew that she couldn't kiss Tadase; she just couldn't. As his lips moved closer to hers she pushed him away, "No, I do mind! Why are you doing this?"

"To prove a point. You can kiss Kukai, but you can't kiss me. I think you're lying to yourself about your feelings, Amu," Tadase told her.

Amu felt a shiver down her spine as he said this. She had been lying to herself, and she knew it even before Tadase had almost kissed her. She knew that her affection for Kukai was more than that of a friendly stage. But, she definitely knew that it wasn't love. It was too soon. Becoming friends was a big enough step.

"Stop, Tadase," Kukai told him. "Don't worry about it, Amu. You don't need to rush anything. Take as much time as you want."

"Well, anyway, Amu. I believe there is something that is long overdue," Nadeshiko told her.

"Welcome to Seiyo Academy's guardians!" The four yelled together. It was at that moment the bell rang for next class. Amu once again had food science. The guardians all picked up their bags and began to leave the royal garden. Kukai bid goodbye to the rest of them only about 10m away from the royal garden.

"Huh? Where are you going Kukai?" Tadase asked him.

"Oh, don't you guys worry about me… I just have a little business to attend to," he told them before walking off in the opposite direction.

* * *

><p>After about 10 minutes of wandering around trying to find his destination, Kukai gave up and slumped to the ground beside a tree. He decided to simply head back to his human biology class. However, he soon realised he had no idea where he was, so couldn't find his way back to human biology either. He began walking around to attempt to find any familiar buildings, when he saw his original destination, the planetarium.<p>

Kukai began laughing at the situation. He walked inside, and into the centre of the planetarium.

"I guess you found out it's true what they say," Kukai heard a voice from behind him.

"And what might that be?" Kukai asked, obviously recognising the voice.

"This is a place that can only be found when you're lost," the principal told him.

"Well, you say a lot of things. I'm never sure what to believe when it's you."

The principal started laughing, "That's probably wise, actually."

"So, why'd you call me out here?" Kukai asked.

"Ahh… that… Do you want to play a game of fate, Kukai?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: How was that? I'm sorry about the evil ending of the last chapter! It all ended up being a clever way for me to deceive you guys. **

**Well hopefully all of the Amu x Kukai scenes in this chapter made up for the wait I put you guys through... :) **

**VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: I will not be posting a chapter next saturday. I'll be on holiday in Sydney for the mardi gras, so I won't be posting a chapter, sorry! I might post a chapter when I get back on the wednesday, but I'm not sure yet. Depends on how much homework I have to catch up on.**

* * *

><p><strong>So, here's some thinking points or things you might like to include in your review:<strong>

**1) There was quite a lot of Tsukasa in this chapter, we got to learn more about him. But, of course, as you learn more, there are more questions to be asked... How does he have a 1 million dollar couple necklace to just lend to Amu...? He's a bachelor, so why did he buy the couple necklace in the first place? **

**2) How did you guys like the kiss scene? By the way, Yaya has a tendency to exaggerate, so the kiss might not have necessarily went on for 30 seconds... haha. I guess you'll never know, since Amu and Kukai definitely weren't keeping track.**

**3) Nadeshiko's silence... Was she jealous of Amu? Did she really think that Kukai was gay? Something about her story doesn't seem to add up... Also, what was Nadeshiko's secret reason that she tried so hard to be Amu's friend? Nadeshiko seems to be becoming a very suspicious character, eh? **

**Thanks for reading! See you either next week's wednesday or the saturday 2 weeks away.**


	8. Chapter 7: Sexy Dancer Chara Part 1

**A/N: Did you all miss me last week?**

**The talent show chapter, chapter 7. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own 'When I'm all Alone' by Fergie or 'Bad Girl Good Girl' by Miss A. All rights belong to the respective owners.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7: Sexy Dancer Chara Part 1<strong>

Friday rolled around quickly. As a newly appointed member of the guardians, Amu was very much involved in the preparations for the talent show. They were setting up the stage in the Auditorium, preparing props, microphones, tables, chairs, a judging panel, etc.

School finished quickly, not much work was done, as people were just so excited about the talent show. Amu could see the nerves evident on many faces. Although she wouldn't admit it, Amu, too, was nervous. She hadn't done a solo dance in front of such a large group in a long time. Dancing was something she thought she wouldn't take up again. The crowds started flowing in quickly as school finished. Amu was handing out a program to people as they walked through the entrance, paying a gold coin donation. She noticed that it went by age, and, as such Ami was the very first for the whole talent show. Amu knew that Ami would be feeling super nervous, and so, asked for Nadeshiko to take over her job so she could go see how Ami was doing. Nadeshiko happily agreed, and Amu made her way backstage to check on Ami.

Amu was shocked to see Ami. Mrs. Howlett obviously had a very good taste in dresses. She had supplied Ami with the dress to borrow from the school's collection they use for performances. She wore puffy baby pink shorts, with white stockings underneath. Her top was a more vibrant pink, and had white frills at the bottom. It was well-fitted and clung to Ami's body tightly, but not too tightly. On top of this outfit she wore a full body baby pink overcoat dress. She had the top buttoned up, but below her chest was left open, and the dress puffed out. It gave the look of a princess. Ami also had her hair tied in a bun, pulled back perfectly, not a hair out of place. She had two long locks come down in front of her face for added effect. She had four small rose flowers in her hair, positioned around her bun. Additionally, she had been applied with just a little bit of blush. Amu was actually amazed at how she looked. She had always been a cute child, but she had never realised she could be so beautiful. Beautiful didn't seem to be a word which is used for young children, yet Amu thought it find a perfect use in this sense.

"You're beautiful," Amu told her.

"Thanks sissy! I'm really nervous," Ami told her, sounding unsure of herself.

"Nerves are for wusses! Remember, you're a star Ami. You shine. No matter what happens, all you have to do is show your shine to them. Convey that through your song."

"Yesh! You're right! I'm a star, almost as good as Utau!"

"Yeah, you sure are Ami. I want you to blow those judges away!"

"Yes! They will love me!"

The other guardians soon came behind stage, and informed Amu that the show would be starting in 10 minutes.

"You better get ready too, Amu. Even though we aren't performing until the end since we're year 11," Nadeshiko told her.

"Yeah, sure, thanks Nadeshiko."

Amu held Ami's hand and took her into the changing room, where Amu would put on her outfit. Nikaido had been kind enough to let her in here before so she could select what she was going to wear. She put on her black undershorts first, which clung to her thighs tightly. She quickly put on her black dress. The top half of the dress was plain black, while the bottom was a multi-layered frilly lace black. The dress only came to the very top of her thighs, hence the need for her to wear mid-thigh shorts underneath. Over the top she put a relatively boring grey overcoat which went down to just past the knee. The overcoat served it's own purpose. Nadeshiko came in the change room soon after Amu finished changing, telling her that Ami should prepare to go out on stage. She and Ami both exited the change room. Amu decided that after Ami performed, she would do her hair and makeup. After all, according to the program they had at least 3 hours before Amu performed after the opening act. About a minute before Ami was scheduled to go onto stage, she looked up at Amu.

"I'm shy sis…" She told her.

"You sing all the time, remember, Ami. Just pretend that audience is me and I'm listening,"

"But, you're always there when I sing…"

"You do the actual singing by yourself, though," Amu told her, trying to calm her nerves.

"Then, can you be there with me this time, too? I just want you to hold my hand sissy."

Amu thought about it for a moment. She hadn't done her hair and makeup, and was simply dressed in a drab overcoat. She would probably make a bad impression on the audience when they entered the stage, but seeing the look on Ami's face, she couldn't refuse. Ami was still too young to understand about making an impression on the audience. Perhaps in a way, young kids are more about talent than even adults are.

"Sure, of course. I'll introduce you and everything, but you have to sing, okay Ami?"

"Yes, of course sissy!"

At that moment they heard over the microphone the MC of the event, a teacher whom Amu had never seen before, announce the opening act, Ami Hinamori. Amu gripped Ami's hand tightly before walking out onto the stage. When the two walked out, Ami dressed elegantly and beautifully, with Amu who was dressed to less than desired, the audience seemed to raise their eyebrows and sigh. Amu knew that this would anger some people who had tried hard to make this event work. A bad opening act meant people had an immediate bad impression of the event.

"Well, we only have a single person here, and I'm assuming it's you, young girl?" The lady asked Ami.

"Yes, this is my sister Ami," Amu told her, "She was shy, and so I'm just here to hold her hand."

"Aww… how cute. What will she be doing for us today?"

"She will sing you a song called 'When I'm All Alone' by Stacy Ferguson."

"Well, whenever you're ready," the lady told her, "Just give the music guys the cue and they will start the music."

Amu quickly looked at the audience, and the judges' faces. Much of the audience seemed to be rolling their eyes. Just another little girl who thought she could sing, they were probably thinking. The principal, and Nikaido, however, seemed extremely interested to hear Ami sing. Amu turned her attention back to the stage, and looked to the side to give the music crew the cue. They heard a piano begin playing slowly. Amu knew that the song did not have much backing music, just a piano. Instead, it relied much on the singer's voice, and how powerfully they could sing.

Ami was now fully focused, microphone in hand. Many of the audience were not paying attention. Ami did not seem to notice, though.

_For was, an empty room I hear the beating of my heart._

Just by singing the one line, Ami seemed to grab the attention of the entire audience. On the first note she began softly, yet still projecting her voice through the microphone and across the entire Auditorium. After the momentary pause between 'was' and 'an', her voice changed, instead now being a powerful voice, which seemed to grip people's heads and direct them towards the front.

_Somehow, I fear the night. It looks like I'm alone tonight without friends. You're alone all night._ _It hurts so bad. It makes you sad. It brings you down to be on your own. I need a friend to take my hand, someone to call when I'm bought from home. When I'm all alone._

All eyes in the auditorium were now watching her intently, amazed at the talent such a small girl could hold.

_Sometimes I cry in my sleep. Please help me remember I'm only dreaming,_

The audience stood from their seats as Ami held the high _'_dreaming' note for an extended period of time.

_It brings you down to be on your own. I need a friend._

More of the audience stood up as she held the long 'friend' note, just as she had the previous note.

_Someone to call when I'm bought from home. When I'm all alone. It hurts so bad. It makes you sad. It brings you down to be on your own. I need a friend to take my hand, someone to call when I'm bought from home. When I'm all alone._

As Ami finished the song, the whole audience stood from their seat, erupting in screams of applause, and the claps echoed throughout the large room. After the applause died out, which took a fairly long time, the principal was the first judge to take the microphone.

"You are the most talented little girl I have **ever **heard sing in my life. I think you have a chance of winning this competition, even as our opening act," he told her before passing the microphone to Mr. Jeffrey.

"When you came to our school only recently, I never would have imagined you were such a young budding star. I think you have what it takes to go all the way." Finally, he passed the microphone to Nikaido.

"I don't really have anything to say. I think the applause said it all."

Amu thanked the judges on behalf of Ami before the two walked off stage. After they exited the stage, Amu yelled in excitement.

"You were so great!" She screamed.

"Thanks sissy! I think I did really well!"

"You definitely did!" Nadeshiko told her.

"Yeah, we could hear from here," Yaya commented.

"I didn't realise I'd have such tough competition in such a little girl," Kukai told her jokingly.

Ami blushed at their comments, before turning her head away shyly.

"Well, Yaya, I'm sorry to impose… but I need to do my hair and makeup. Would you mind looking after Ami for a bit?"

"Never a problem, Amu!"

Amu thanked her before walking to the green room to get ready. Amu remembered that she would have to thank Nadeshiko for lending her makeup to her. Amu simply tied her hair in a ponytail. Her makeup, too, was not overly glamorous. She simply had a bit of mascara, foundation slightly paler than her normal colour, to make her appear lighter, and blush. Additionally, she put lip-gloss on.

Amu soon came out to see that during the time she was getting changed, Kukai, Nadeshiko and Yaya had, too, gotten changed. They were all wearing white dress pants with a white undershirt. They had a fully zipped up plain white jacket. Additionally, they were wearing silver shoes.

"Uhh… are you guys doing one as a group…?" Amu asked them.

"Oh, yes. Our whole dance club is doing one as a group. I'm also doing one solo," Nadeshiko told her.

"Are you allowed to do two?" Amu asked.

"Not usually, but if ones as a group, then you can do one solo as well."

Amu nodded her head in acknowledgement, "If you guys do as well as you did at the assembly, I have no hope."

Kukai laughed, "That was nothing. Although we haven't completely perfect this song yet, we are going to perfect it very soon. The statewide dance competition is in 2 weeks time, and we've already decided this song is the one we're performing. It's also a requirement that we perform two songs, one that's a solo, and one as a group. The one Nadeshiko is performing as a solo is the one she's going to solo for the state wide competition, too."

"Oh, wow. Sounds like you guys have it all planned out," Amu told him.

"Yeah, last time we couldn't compete in the state competition since we had to pull out at the last minute. This time, though, we're going to go all the way!

Much of the lower school part of the talent show seemed to pass by quickly. No one performed that had topped Ami's singing. There were various dancers who seemed relatively good, but no acts came that stood out. The middle school part of the talent show passed in much the same way. When it got to upper school, however, the competition seemed to get tough. There were singers who knew what they were doing, dancers who could dance well; although not as good as Amu or the others. There were also some comedy acts that were genuinely funny.

The talent show seemed to be moving quickly, and soon it came around to the year 11's. Amu looked at the program to see that the dance club was the first to perform. They were called out to the stage, as Amu was left alone backstage. Tadase had left by now to sit in the audience, as he was not participating in the show. Nadeshiko held the microphone as she introduced the club. She told the audience they were dancing to 'Supa Luv'. Amu had heard the song a few times on the radio, but had not seen the dance. She saw them take their positions. Nadeshiko was front and centre, and the group made a V shape, with the bottom of the V pointing towards the audience. Yaya, however, stood directly behind Nadeshiko, at the back of the group. As the song started, Amu seemed to be transfixed on their dancing. Kukai was not lying when he said their performance at assembly did not hold a candle to their current one. She could not find a fault with their performance. They danced brilliantly. Amu knew that, no matter how good she was, she wouldn't be able to beat them.

After their act finished, the applause from the audience was massive. Although, Ami had received more applause, most likely due to the fact hers was the opening act. After they came backstage again, Yaya and Kukai began celebrating. They were obviously as impressed with their own performance as Amu and the audience had been. Nadeshiko, however, quickly left to get changed for her solo dance. When Nadeshiko came back out she was dressed in what appeared to be a flight attendant's clothes. She wore a white flight attendant's top, with a four-button setup. It was fully buttoned up. She also wore a badge on her left breast. She wore white short-shorts which were short, even for short-shorts. They barely did anything to cover her thighs. Amu now had a closer look at Nadeshiko's legs. She had extremely feminine legs, and they seemed to be perfect. What Amu would do for legs like that… To further show off her legs, Nadeshiko wore black high heels, as a contrast to the other items in her outfit. Finally she wore a white flight-attendants hat.

"Wow, Nadeshiko, you have nice legs…" Amu told her.

She blushed slightly, "Not really… I'm sure yours are nice too under that horrid overcoat you're wearing. You do have a reason for wearing that, right?"

"Yeah, I do. Don't worry. You'll understand when you see my act."

"Which will be pretty soon, so you better mentally prepare yourself," Kukai told her.

"Thanks, but I'm as prepared as I'll ever be. It's my first time performing solo in front of such a large crowd in a long time… I mean, even when we performing at garden city, even though I was at the front and centre, I wasn't alone. You guys were performing with me," she told them.

"We'll always be with you," Kukai told her, "No matter how far we are."

Amu smiled at him, and he seemed to blush. Suddenly, Amu heard an announcement from the stage saying it was her turn. She walked out on stage slowly, and people seemed surprise to see she was still wearing the grey overcoat.

"Well, we get to see you again. I'm guessing this time you're performing for yourself?" the MC asked her.

"Yes, I am. I'll be dancing for you guys. I'm gonna keep the song a secret, though. You guys will probably know it when it comes on. If not, though, I'll tell you at the end anyway. I like to start things with a bang, though, so I think it's better this way."

"Well, you sound like you have everything sorted. You know what to do."

Amu nodded at the MC, before putting the microphone back on the stand, and moving it to the side of the stage out of the way. Amu then proceeded to the back of the stage, facing away from the audience. She gave the cue to the music group, and they started the song.

As the song started, Amu ripped off the overcoat, and it fell to the floor, revealing her short black dress and shorts to the audience. She could hear gasps as she did this. It was understandable; her clothing was questionable. It was necessary for the performance, though. She turned around, making sure to have her wedge heels 'click' on the floor. She began to then dramatically walk forward to the front of the stage in time with the beat.

_You don't know me, you don't know me, you don't know me, you don't know me. So, shut up, boy, so shut up, boy. So, shut up, shut up._

Amu started dancing as the lyrics started, and people seemed interested from the start. Her costume had obviously achieved its purpose, to start with a bang.

_You couldn't say a thing in front of me, but you could talk badly about me behind my back. I'm dumbfounded._

Amu made sure to perform all her dance moves with sex appeal, as well as constantly have a serious but sexy look on her face. As she got to the move where she leans to the floor, she made sure to flick her skirt up, completely exposing her black shorts underneath to the audience.

_Hello, Hello, Hello. It seems like the first time, time, time you've seen a girl like me. Why do you judge me? Are you afraid of me, perhaps? _

Amu kept up her sexy style of dancing, making sure when she swayed her hips that it was fast enough to interest the audience, but slow enough to tease. Constantly with many of her dance moves, her skirt spun up, leading to her black shorts being exposed.

_On the outside, I'm a Bad Girl. On the inside, I'm a Good Girl. You don't even know me well, you only look at me from the outside. I find your gaze to be funny because you see me as a pitiful girl._

Amu made sure that when she slapped her ass, her skirt rode up just before, so she slapped right on the black shorts. She slapped hard enough to make it echo throughout the centre. It stung slightly, but Amu knew it was necessary. She shook her ass in just the right way, especially considering the natural small size of it.

_When I dance, I'm a Bad Girl. When I love, I'm a Good Girl. When you watch me dance, you become mesmerized, but are you done after you watch? I find your hypocrisy to be funny because you point at me._

As the hip thrust from the floor came, she made sure to thrust more than required, adding to the raw sex appeal of the act. As she kneeled on the floor and began to point at the audience, she made sure to clearly point at and make eye contact with the three judges individually.

As she finished the dance, kneeling on the floor, applause erupted from the audience like wildfire; perhaps louder than the applause had been for Ami. As Amu went backstage, she was engulfed in a hug by Yaya and Nadeshiko simultaneously.

"You rocked that stage, girl!" Yaya told her enthusiastically.

"God, you are one sexy bitch," Nadeshiko told her.

"No-one could take their eyes off you," Kukai told her.

Amu rolled her eyes at Kukai's comment, "Don't think everyone's the same as you."

"No, actually, I managed to stop looking at you for about 5 seconds to see **everyone **staring at you. You owned the stage, better than even we did."

Amu raised her eyebrows at his comment, "My dance wasn't as good as yours was, what do you mean mine was better?"

"No, your dancing wasn't better," Nadeshiko told her, "But your performance was better."

Amu looked at her, obviously confused.

"What I'm trying to say is that you got the audience's attention more, and used the attention to your advantage. You aren't a better dancer than us, you're a better performer."

Amu nodded, "I think I get it… You guys will still probably beat me, though."

"I wouldn't be so sure! I know we're good, but you were seriously hot!" Yaya told her.

Before long they heard the MC announce that it was Nadeshiko's turn for her solo. As she walked out on stage she immediately caught people's interest with her costume. She introduced herself and told them she was going to be dancing to 'Genie'. She danced outstandingly well, and she even performed perhaps almost as well as Amu did. The applause spoke for itself, as it seemed to deafen Amu just as much as it did when Amu had been standing on that stage. Amu was not confident at all that she would beat Nadeshiko. The rest of the acts passed relatively quickly, and Amu noted there were many which elicited an extremely loud response from the audience, perhaps as loud as or louder than the dance club had. Before long, the night seemed to be coming to an end.

After the final act had been performed, the MC announced there would be a short break while the judges made some decisions. Ami, Amu, Yaya, Kukai and Nadeshiko all stood around talking. Each could sense the other's anticipation to find out who won.

"No matter who wins, no hard feelings right?" Nadeshiko told them.

"As we always say, it's good when friends compete, that way we can cheer no matter who wins!" Yaya told them.

Kukai and Nadeshiko rolled their eyes.

"Why are you rolling your eyes?" Amu questioned, "She makes a valid point."

Kukai started laughing, "Yeah, it's the fact that we came up with that. Yaya is the one that follows it the least."

She pouted, "Kukai's being mean!"

Ami and Nadeshiko too started cracking up before Nadeshiko commented, "I'm sorry Yaya, but you're spoilt. We're glad, though. We wouldn't want it any other way."

Yaya continued pouting, when they heard the announcement that the judges had come to a decision and the show would now proceed to the awards section. There were probably now close to 100 people trying to crowd the backstage, getting as close to the stage as possible without being visible. The principal came up to the stage and began talking.

"There were over 80 acts here today, and we have narrowed it down to the top 8 of these acts. We will invite these top 8 to come out onto stage. These acts are not in any specific order. Our top 8 acts for Seiyo Academy's 2011 Talent Show are… Miyako's Comedy Act, Hitomi singing 'time after time', the senior school dance club dancing to 'Supa Luv'," Amu could see Kukai, Yaya and Nadeshiko jump up in happiness and run out onto the stage, "Yamada singing Hey Soul Sister, Ami singing to 'When I'm All Alone," Amu hugged Ami, and lightly pushed her onto the stage, where Nadeshiko walked over to her, and held her hand as she led her to line up. "Nadeshiko dancing to 'Genie'," Nadeshiko once again got excited as that was her 2nd act in the top 8, not surprisingly. Amu began to worry. There were was only 2 acts remaining. The other guardians had been confident she would make it, but what if her performance was actually over-sexed. "Marino singing 'Teenage Dream'," Amu felt her heart skip a beat. There was only 1 more act. What if she hadn't even made it into the top 8? Finally, the principal announced the final act, "And the final act was Amu dancing to 'Bad Girl Good Girl'"

Amu jumped in joy as she ran out onto stage and lined up with the others. Ami quickly let go of Nadeshiko's hand and hugged her sister as she came out onto stage.

"Before we announce the first, second and third place, first of all we have our category awards. We give an award for the best singer of the night, the best dancer of the night and best comedy act of the night. Our best comedy act of the night is…" He paused before announcing the answer, keeping people on the edge of their seat as they were desperate to find out the result, "Miyako's comedy act! Congratulations Miyako!"

Everyone began clapping as she walked up to the principal and received her award, which was wrapped in wrapping paper, so it's contents were unknown.

"Our next award is the best singer of the night, which goes to…" Again, he paused. Amu gripped Ami's hand tighter, hoping to hear her name announced now, "Marino singing 'Teenage Dream'."

Ami's heart dropped as she heard this. She hadn't won. She had been beaten by this girl. Amu could see the sad expression on her face, so gripped her hand tighter. She leaned down to Ami's cheek before kissing it. Ami looked at her sister, sadness still evident in her eyes. She shook her head, though, and smiled at her big sister.

"Our final category award of the night is for the best dancer. The best dancer award tonight goes to…" Amu tightened her grip on Ami's hand. Amu could also see Nadeshiko, Yaya and Kukai all tense up. Everyone was on edge as he prepared to announce the result, "The senior school dance club."

Amu's heart, just like her little sister's had a minute ago, dropped. She had known in her heart that they had been better than her, yet she still held out hope. Hope that maybe, for some reason, she had beaten them. Amu looked at Kukai, Yaya and Nadeshiko, who were celebrating. Nadeshiko looked over at Amu, who smiled at her. Nadeshiko took this as a sign Amu was okay, and turned her attention back towards the principal. Kukai accepted the present on behalf of the group.

"Now we have our major results. The best, 2nd best and 3rd best acts of tonight." By now, Amu was not listening so carefully. She was not as on edge anymore. She couldn't win; she had been beaten by the other guardians. Right now Amu just wanted to go home and lie down in her bed.

"Amu Hinamori!" Amu was shocked, to say the least, when her name was called out. She walked from her position to the principal, "Congratulations on third best act of the night." He hung a bronze medal over her head as he handed her, too, a gift. Amu walked back to her position, still shocked. If she had gotten third, then the dance club must have gotten 1st or 2nd, and either one of the best singing act or best comedy act wasn't in the top 3.

"In 2nd place tonight is…" The principal paused for an extended period of time, keeping people on edge, "Nadeshiko dancing to 'Genie'! Congratulations!" Amu was shocked, to say the least. Nadeshiko walked up to the front to collect her medal. She, too, looked shocked that she had won. Obviously, the dance club had come first then, and neither the best singing nor best comedy act were in the top 3. Amu could see Yaya and Kukai in anticipation, more so than Nadeshiko, as Nadeshiko had already won a solo major prize. They had a confident look on their face. It seemed obvious that they would win.

"Our best act of tonight happens to be one of the most surprising. They say you should always start things with a bang, which certainly happened tonight. Our best act was our opening act. Congratulations, Ami Hinamori!" Ami jumped and screamed in excitement when she heard this. Amu was shocked, but Ami dragging her hand up to the front with her dragged her out of her logical train of thought. The principal had to kneel down to put the gold medal over her head, and hand her present to her. Amu lifted Ami into her arms, and held her so she could wave to the audience.

The two went back to their lines, and the principal thanked people for coming to the show, and like that the talent show ended.

"Yay! I'm so happy sissy!" Ami yelled.

"You were so great, Ami! You deserved to win!" Amu told her happily.

"You were great too, Amu," Nadeshiko told her.

Amu turned her head to see Kukai, Nadeshiko and Yaya. Yaya was pouting slightly.

"Cheer up Yaya, you guys still got the best dancer award," Amu told her.

"Yeah, we did well, Yaya!" Kukai said enthusiastically, "Not as well as this little superstar, though!" he said, pointing to Ami.

"I'm confused, though. How come you guys got the best dancer award, but both Nadeshiko's dance and my dance both beat you?"

Nadeshiko simply smiled at this, "It's like I told you earlier. The top awards are for the best act. Our performance was simply better. The dance award, though, is for the ones who actually dance the best, which was the dance club."

"Yeah, same as Ami and Marino. Marino had sung better perhaps than Ami did, which is understandable since she's had years training. Due to Ami's age and other factor's, though, her performance was better. It was more moving," Kukai told her.

"You guys were great tonight, as always," they heard a voice say from behind them. Amu spun around to see it was Mrs. Sanjo.

"Oh, you were here Mrs. Sanjo?" Amu asked.

"Of course, there were multiple talent scouts here. As representative of Easter, the biggest record label in Australia, of course I would be here. We can discuss the details later, of course… I just wanted to tell you that I wished to offer Ami a contract with Easter."

Amu felt her heart jump when she heard that, "Ami… a contract with Easter?"

"Yes. She has so much talent, and so much potential. Of course she'll start off as a trainee. We'd love to train her, though. She probably won't debut as a singer for years, but when she does she'll be the top of Easter. You probably know, but, the top of Easter is basically the top of the whole idol world."

Amu was dumbfounded, yes, Ami was a brilliant singer, but she hadn't expected something like this though. She knew it was true that she would have to stay as a trainee for a long time; Easter couldn't debut a tiny girl. "Yes, we'll think about it. I think it'll do Ami some good to have training. She's never actually had vocal training."

"Never?" Mrs. Sanjo asked, astounded, "She's more than a good singer than, she's a genius. For that to be her raw talent, imagine what she will sound like when it's refined. Anyway, I have something to discuss with you tomorrow, Nadeshiko. I will also talk to you tomorrow Amu. Anyway, for now I have to go. I'll see you guys at work."

After Mrs. Sanjo left, Amu hugged Ami tightly, lifting her into the air.

"You could be a singer, Ami!"

"A singer? Me?"

"Yes! Like Utau Hoshina."

"I could be like Utau?" Ami yelled excitedly.

"Yes, you could! You will have to train very hard, though. Do you want to?"

"Yes! I want to!"

Amu smiled at her little sister. She would consider the decision more carefully later.

"I wonder why she wanted to see you two tomorrow," they heard a voice from behind them.

"Did you enjoy our show?" Nadeshiko asked Tadase, who had been the one to just speak.

"Yeah, you were all awesome. Congratulations to all of you on your awards. So, any idea why she wanted to speak to you guys."

"I think I know," Kukai began, "Of course, it's to recruit you guys."

"Recruit us?" Amu questioned.

"If you let me finish talking… I will explain. Right now you guys are just part of the advertising division. I mean the pay's still pretty damn good, considering it's a weekend job. Think about it though; after you guys almost win a talent competition, a talent scout wants to talk to you. What do you guys think she could want?"

"Recruit us… to become an idol?" Amu asked him.

"Yep!" Yaya told her excitedly, "Of course you'll start of as a trainee. Due to your skill, of course you'll be able to debut quickly, though!"

Nadeshiko stayed silent throughout this conversation.

"Do you two think you'll do it?" Kukai questioned.

Nadeshiko still stayed silent, however, Amu commented, "I'm not sure… I guess I'll have a lot to think about tonight."

"That's for sure!" Yaya told her.

"Anyway, we should probably go back to our dorms. It's gotten pretty late; the talent show went for ages," Tadase told them.

They nodded in agreement before splitting off and heading towards the dorms.

* * *

><p>The next day, Amu and Nadeshiko left to work together, leaving before Kukai and Tadase. They arrived at Mrs. Sanjo's office together, and waited outside. Before long Mrs. Sanjo came out to greet them.<p>

"Ah, hello. Thanks for coming early so we could discuss things. I think I'll talk to Nadeshiko first, I'm sorry Amu, but could you wait in the waiting room?"

"Yeah, that's no problem," Amu told her.

The two of them walked into Mrs. Sanjo's office as Amu waited in the waiting room.

"Well, Nadeshiko, let me cut straight to the point. You know I'm not one to beat around the bush," Mrs. Sanjo began, "We want to offer you a position as a trainee in Easter. With your previous experience and talent, we're absolutely sure you could debut relatively quickly."

"Mrs. Sanjo, you probably know I'm a blunt person, so I, too, am not one to beat around the bush. I'm sorry, but I wish to decline your offer."

"Why…? You could be a superstar," Mrs. Sanjo told her.

"Anything said will be kept absolutely confidential, correct?" Nadeshiko questioned.

"Yes, of course. You can tell me anything."

"Well… I'm leaving Perth soon. I've been offered a position at the Australian National Dance Academy, whose head campus is in Canberra. I wish to learn more and study more styles of dance. That's why I have to decline your offer."

"Oh… when are you leaving?"

"Well, I've decided that I will definitely stay until the state-wide dance competition coming up in 2 weeks time. After that, I'm going to get everything sorted, and then I'll leave."

"Oh… I see. Well, I'm sorry to use your time. Can you please send Amu in after you exit."

"Oh, sure Mrs. Sanjo. Thank you for your time."

Amu soon entered Mrs. Sanjo's office.

"Ah! Amu, hello. I have two matters to discuss with you today. First is your sister's pending offer to join Easter, and second is an offer for you personally. As the talent scout of Easter, I wish to recruit you as a trainee. Of course, given your skill, you could probably quickly progress to become a full blooded idol."

"Ah… I'm flattered by your compliment, Mrs. Sanjo. However, I'm afraid I must decline your offer."

Mrs. Sanjo inhaled deeply before responding, "I see. There is nothing we can do about that. Well, the second is about the matter of your sister's offer. Have you come to an agreement yet?"

This made Amu smirk. Obviously Amu had something up her sleeve. "Unfortunately, no I have not. We received offers from a few various talent agencies. Some were even offering to **pay her **to become a trainee. She seems to be in pretty high demand."

Mrs. Sanjo cringed. She knew what her game plan was, "Oh, and how much were these other agencies offering."

"Why would it interest you…?" Amu asked slyly.

"I will offer double of what any of them have offered you. Ami is a rare commodity we cannot afford to lose."

Amu smirked, knowing she had achieved her mission. She knew she might as well milk the opportunity while she had it.

* * *

><p>Mrs. Sanjo sighed after Amu left, obviously exhausted. She took her mobile phone out of her pocket and quickly dialled a number.<p>

"Hello?" A voice asked from the other side of the line.

"Hi, it's Mrs. Sanjo, representative Easter talent scout calling."

"It's me, Yukari. What do you want?"

"Plan A failed… go ahead with plan B."

The voice on the other line stayed silent for a moment before replying, "Well, okay. I wish we didn't have to resort to such low tactics."

"Don't say that. May I remind you that this is a direct order from the director of Easter himself? This is Easter's way. Don't like it, then quit. But, of course, you can't do that, or you'd be ruined."

"I understand; there is no need to remind me. I will carry out plan B in due time."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well, there you have chapter 7! This is the first mention of Easter's dark side… And, as the plot thickens, Amu and Ami are getting themselves more and more involved with Easter. **

**Some thinking points:**

**Nadeshiko is leaving? Will she really leave? Will anyone stop her from leaving? There are still so many mysteries about her that haven't been solved!**

**Who was Mrs. Sanjo talking to? What was 'Plan A'? What is 'Plan B'? **

**Well, until next time! :)**


	9. Chapter 8: Good Listener Chara

**A/N: So sorry! This is so late. Had my year 12 ball (AKA Senior prom) on the weekend so I was absolutely knackered. Only ended up getting about 3-4 hours of sleep? It would have been fine if I'd edited the chapter before, but I hadn't edited it at all… I even considered putting it up unedited but then there might be plot holes… So, so sorry! **

**Major revelation in this chapter… I'll let you read it now!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8: Good Listener Chara<strong>

When form class came around on Monday, the class fell silent as Amu walked into class. Amu looked around to see the other guardians were not in class yet. She looked suspiciously at everyone in the class. Why had they gone silent all of a sudden?

"Seriously, you guys are all gutless. If you have something to say, why don't you say it to her face? It annoys me when people do things like this," Rima told the people in the class. She stood up, and walked over to Amu, handing her what appeared to be a newsletter.

"A newsletter?" Amu questioned. She noticed that it was the school newsletter run by students. Funny, she didn't even know they had one. She looked at the front-page headline; 'Joker takes school by storm'. She flipped the page, and saw that the article was actually 2 pages long.

"What you do with it is up to you," Rima told her. Amu sat in her seat before beginning to read the article. She could see others in the class nervous, obviously in anticipation for her reaction to the article.

The article told the story of how Amu had been _'_a bitch' when she first joined the school, but manipulated Kukai into becoming overly friendly with her. It also told the story of how she had also attempted to seduce Tadase and Ikuto, too. Additionally, there were multiple pictures in the article. One of was her encounter with Kukai in the nurse's office. The picture showed they were lying on the ground, and the picture made it out to look like they were about to have sex. There was also a picture from the time she was in the library with Ikuto. Again, the picture was taken in a way which made it look like they were getting it on. There was a picture from when Amu was teaching Tadase how to do the dance at work. She had been holding his hand, guiding it. There was also a picture of when she was crying after the athletics carnival, and was involved in a group hug with the other guardians. The final picture in the article had been her making out with Kukai for the role-play. After Amu had finished reading the article, she slammed the newsletter onto her desk. She was about to demand to know who had written the article, but her demand was not needed. The door of the room was slammed open, and the guardians all walked into the room at the same time. Nadeshiko was the first to speak.

"Okay! Everyone here you better fucking listen carefully. One of you better tell me who wrote this article, or I will go crazy."

Silence… no one in the class spoke up. Nadeshiko slammed her fist against the wall, leaving a small dent in the wall, "That will be the face of every single one of you if none of you tell me who wrote this."

Amu was shocked by Nadeshiko's outburst. She had seemed like such a calm person on the outside; but even she obviously had a fiery interior. Perhaps this was another kind of façade? Amu knew she couldn't let Nadeshiko do anything irresponsible, and so quickly got up from her seat, and asked the guardians to follow her. They began walking to the royal garden. When they arrived Nadeshiko slammed her fist on the table.  
>"My god! It pisses me off so much! Who the fuck has the nerve to write something like that?"<p>

"Calm down Nadeshiko," Amu told her.

"Don't you get so angry!" Nadeshiko was basically screaming now.

"Yes, I am angry," Amu told her calmly, "But punching someone in the face and getting expelled isn't the way to go about this.

Nadeshiko took a deep breath before saying, "You're right. Thanks Amu."

Amu heard a sigh of relief from Kukai, Yaya and Tadase. Amu looked at them questioningly.

"Even I'm scared of Nadeshiko when she's angry," Kukai told her.

Amu started laughing at this, "Nadeshiko seems so calm, but once you're mad…"

She looked away and blushed.

"We already questioned the newsletter club, but they said it was submitted by an external, anonymous identity," Tadase told her.

"I want to know how they got all those pictures…" Amu began, "I mean, of course the one of me and Kukai kissing shouldn't have been too hard to get. It wasn't exactly private…" Amu began to blush just remembering the kiss. She quickly shook the thought from her head, remembering the issue at hand. "But the picture of me and Kukai in the nurse's office. I swear the only one that was there at the time was you, Nadeshiko. Then the picture of Ikuto and I in the library. The only ones that saw us were you guys. Then the picture of me and Tadase; well the only people that could have gotten that picture was someone who was working in Easter."

There was only silence in response. None of the guardians had known how they could have gotten the pictures. Tadase spoke up, "There are security cameras all throughout the school… maybe they extracted stills from them? That would mean there would have had to been a teacher connected to this, though…"

"Well, I guess there's nothing we can do until any more evidence comes up," Amu told them.

"Are you okay with that?" Nadeshiko asked.

"People will probably believe it, you know. Those pictures are pretty believable," Kukai told her.

"I don't care. As long as you guys still believe in me," Amu told them.

She received only a warm smile in response from all four guardians.

"Well, as long as you're alright with it, I guess we can forget about it for now," Nadeshiko told her.

* * *

><p>The rest of the day passed quickly. During their sport lesson, Amu and Kukai had been told they had an assignment in pairs. They had to devise and carry out a fitness test; comparing things like upper body strength, core strength and lower body strength. Kukai had been very keen to pair up with Amu, to which Amu had no choice but to agree. They had decided it would be good to start it as soon as possible, and get it out of the way. Kukai would be busy this afternoon; but he told her it would be fine if she came over in the evening. Amu returned home and told Nadeshiko, Yaya and Ami that she would be going out this evening. Nadeshiko and Yaya were, of course, very inquisitive. Amu told them that she was going to Kukai's dorm to work on an assessment.<p>

"It's totally a date," Nadeshiko told her. Amu rolled her eyes.

"Wow, my first date with Kukai doing homework. What a romantic."

"Don't you see? The homework is just an excuse. I bet you'll finish the homework in like an hour or so, and then spend the rest of the time together being lovey-dovey."

Amu once again rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry, I'll take Ami to school if you don't come home tonight," Yaya told her. Amu blushed and slapped Yaya lightly.

"Don't even joke about that! I'd never do something like that. How shameful. Especially considering there's already scandals about me circulating at the moment."

"I say it jokingly, but you know if you ever need it in the future, although maybe not today, I'll do it for you," Yaya told her.

Amu rolled her eyes, "Thanks. I won't be needing you to, though."

"Well since you're going on a date tonight–" Nadeshiko began.

"It's not a date," Amu told her stubbornly.

"Well since you're going to Kukai's dorm tonight, we have to get you looking nice. What are you gonna wear?" She asked.

"Umm… some trackies, a t-shirt and a hoodie?"

"WHAT?" Nadeshiko's shout could almost bring down the dorm, "How can you wear such **casual **clothes on a date?" She emphasised the word casual with disdain.

"I told you, it's not a date."

"It's whatever you want it to be. If you go looking like that, of course it's not going to be a date. If you go in something more appropriate, though, like a nice dress, then it'll turn into a date. The way a woman dresses has the ability to alter and control the flow of an evening."

Amu once again rolled her eyes at Nadeshiko's overdramatic antics. "Wearing a dress to do homework will seem over the top. He'll think of me as desperate."

Nadeshiko looked at her, a knowing smile on her face. "Ah-ha!" She exclaimed, "I knew you'd thought long and hard about this. You actually really hope he treats it as a date, don't you?"

Amu slapped her lightly, blushing the whole time.

"I knew it!" Nadeshiko told her. "Don't worry; he's head over heels for you. No matter what you wear, he'll think you're beautiful."

"Well, what do I wear, though, to give him the right message…? If I overdress he'll think I'm desperate, if I under dress he'll think I'm not interested. Why does getting dressed have to be so complicated…?"

"I think you should stick with something casual, but not so casual. How about you just go in some skinny jeans and a nice shirt, and nice jacket?"

"None of which I have. You forget that I don't really have any going out clothes," Amu told her.

"That's right. We really need to take you to the mall at some point on the holidays! We can totally have a girls shopping spree!" Nadeshiko told her excitedly. "Anyway, don't worry about it too much. You can borrow my clothes."

"Thanks so much, Nadeshiko! I will really owe you one when the time comes…"

"Yeah… when the time comes…" Nadeshiko told her sadly. Amu would have questioned the sad tone, but she was being hurriedly rushed into Nadeshiko's room, to look at her closet.

Before long, Amu was dressed in black skinny jeans. She was wearing a pink top with black polka dots. Over the top she was wearing a plain white jacket, with just one button in the middle done up, causing it to spread at both the top and the bottom. She simply let her hair down, and brushed it.

"See, simple, but cute! I think just plain ballet flats would match the outfit the best."

"Thanks Nadeshiko. I don't know what I'd ever do without you…"

"Haha. You didn't seem to think that way a couple of weeks ago."

"It's funny isn't it?" Amu began, "How close we've become? Even though we've only been friends for about a week."

"Yeah, it is. I have a feeling we'll be friends forever, no matter how far apart we are."

"Yeah, of course we will," Amu told her confidently.

"Anyway, go get your man!" Nadeshiko told her enthusiastically.

Instead of rolling her eyes, or denying it, instead Amu only said, "Thanks!"

Amu knocked on the door when she arrived at Kukai's dorm. He quickly opened the door. He was wearing jeans with a fairly plain top. It was green, with the exception of the sleeves, which were a navy blue. His hair was as normal. Although it was such a simple outfit, he managed to make it look **so hot**. He showed Amu inside, and told Amu she could sit at the table. She sat down, and Kukai offered her something to eat.

"I'm alright," she told him, "So, what's the plan for the evening?"  
>"Well, if you're not hungry at the moment then do you wanna do our plan for our assignment? We can eat after that if you'd like. Then would you wanna stay to watch a movie or something?" He asked. He was trying to appear confident as he spoke, trying to sound casual. Amu could tell that he was, however, in reality nervous. That was when Amu knew that he had been having the same kind of thoughts as she had.<p>

"Sure, I'd love to watch a movie. Isn't Tadase here, though?" She asked.

"Ohh, uhhh. He had somewhere to go, so he's not here at the moment," Kukai told her.

"Good."

Kukai couldn't help but gulp when Amu said this. He thought that, perhaps, Amu had wanted this to be a mini date as well? "Well, let's get stared shall we?"

"Yeah, sure. How about we do upper body strength first? We need to come up with at least two exercises to test upper body strength, and we need to compare to each other."

Kukai thought for a moment, "Well of course we can use push-ups as one. Whoever can do the most push-ups. What would you wanna do for the second one?"

"How about something unorthodox? Something like an arm wrestle," Amu told him.

"An arm wrestle? Sure. I'll go easy on you, though. We know who'd win otherwise."

Amu poked her tongue at him when he said this, and playfully hit him on the arm. She noticed he winced as she hit him.

"Hey, are you alright?" Amu asked.

"Uhh, yeah. I was just pretending," he said before laughing. Amu could tell his laugh was fake, though.

"Don't like. I know you well enough by now, Kukai. After all, we have made out. Don't think I'm a stranger. You can tell me if something's wrong."

"Of course I would tell you if something's wrong. I promise you nothing is wrong."

Amu didn't believe him, and so grabbed his face, and made him face her. She leaned her face closer to his, and pushed her lips onto his. Kukai was stunned by her sudden action, and didn't know how to react. He wasn't sure why Amu had just kissed him. Suddenly, she pulled his sleeve of his shirt up. He mentally cursed, as he figured that she had kissed him to get him off guard. Amu gasped as she pulled up his sleeve. He had a massive bruise covering much of his upper arm.

"What…?" Amu asked.

Kukai closed his eyes, but didn't respond.

"What happened?" Amu asked, "Why didn't you tell me anything?" Amu's voice grew sad as she asked the second question.

"It's complicated…" Kukai told her.

"Complicated, my ass! I want this relationship to work, Kukai. I want to have a real relationship with you!" She yelled.

Kukai's eyes opened wide as she said this, "You do…?"

"Yes… I do. You're the sweetest guy I've ever met. I want our relationship to work. For that to happen, though, we need to be honest with each other."

Kukai sighed before he began talking, "Well, okay. I'll tell you the truth. I can trust you, though, right?"

"What kind of question is that?" Amu asked, offended, "Of course you can. I would never betray you."

"Well. It happened yesterday. After work finished, I went to the mall, right. That was when I saw him. As soon as I saw him, I ran. He caught me, though. I'm not fast enough. I'm useless…" Kukai told her.

"Who? Who did you see?"

"My brother."

Amu gasped as she heard this. His brother? His brother had done this?

"What…?"

"My brother was the one to abuse me."

"Why?"

He scoffed, "I have three brothers, they all hate me. The reason I moved to Seiyo is so I could escape from home. I would be beaten on a daily basis. I would be tied up and whipped. They would bash my head against walls, or even stab me sometimes."

Amu almost felt like she herself died when she heard Kukai saying this. She hugged him tightly, "It's alright… It's alright," she soothed him.

"They hate me for a good reason, though… I was the one that murdered my parents. It's my fault," he told her, "If I wasn't crying while we were in the car, he wouldn't have turned around to yell at me. He wouldn't have crashed into the tree. It's my fault."

Amu could feel a drop on her back. She knew that Kukai was crying. He wasn't crying too heavily, just a few drops from his eyes.

"It's alright… I'll always be here for you. How about we go lie down?"

"Yeah, that'd be nice. I'll show you where my room is."

Amu held his hand while they walked into Kukai's room. Kukai let go of her hand as he lay down on his bed. Amu, too, lied down on his bed. She cuddled up to him, and he began crying again. Amu wiped away his tears, and simply soothed him. Before long he fell asleep in Amu's arms. Amu, too, fell asleep.

* * *

><p>When Amu awoke the next morning, she saw on Kukai's bedside clock that it was already 9am. They had missed the start of school. Amu didn't care, though. She tried not to move too much, in case she disturbed Kukai. She looked back to Kukai's peaceful sleeping face. She couldn't help but blush. She had just slept while snuggled up to Kukai all night long. No matter the circumstances, it was still so embarrassing.<p>

Amu wasn't sure how long she lied there and just stared at Kukai's face before he awoke.

"Having fun staring?" He asked playfully.

"Well, I don't know where else I'm supposed to look. Someone had a death grip on me during the night," Amu replied just as playfully.

"I can't help it, you're so cute."

Amu felt herself blush, "We missed the start of school, by the way."

"Let's skip."

"I was hoping you'd say that. Do you wanna talk about last night?"

"I'm sorry about last night… I hope I wasn't any trouble for you," he told her.

"No, I like it, actually. The fact we can be honest with each other means that our relationship is that much more advanced. I want you to know, though, that it's not your fault. It's never been your fault. You were only little. It's unfair of your brothers to blame you."

He smiled at her, "Thanks, Amu."

"Well then, what do you wanna do today?" Amu asked him.  
>"How about we stay like this for a bit longer?" He asked her.<p>

"I'm not complaining," Amu told him.

"Who would, with a guy like me?"

"You're so full of yourself."

"And you love it."

The two just lied there, cuddling in each other's arms. Amu didn't feel awkward at all, instead, she felt at home.  
>"You know, I'm glad about my brothers for one reason, though," Kukai told her.<p>

Amu looked at him oddly.

"They're what made me so attracted to you, initially," he told her, "Seeing how you'd been abandoned by your parents, just like I had, and my brothers had. Yet, even though you'd been abandoned by your parents, you didn't abuse your sister. Your sister was the most important thing in the world to you. I guess I admired you."

"Well that explains it," Amu told him.

"Explains what?"

"Why you seemed to become attracted to me so easily. I thought it was odd that you seemed to be so friendly around me and you got hurt when I insulted you, even though I'd never even been kind to you."

"Yeah…" he said as he scratched his head and began laughing, "But that admiration turned into something else. I began to feel for you as more than a friend. Before I knew it, I was head over heels for you."

"Mmm. I guess I just couldn't help but fall for you? You were so cute."

"Well, I was thinking more along the lines of 'manly', but cute works too. So, then, Amu… will you go out with me?" He asked her.

"Of course, what did you expect me to say after I just told you I liked you as more than a friend."

"Yes!" He cheered happily, "Thanks… you've changed my life, Amu. No matter what happens that much won't change."

"Yes, as have you, Kukai. In the future when I'm married, no matter whom to, I'll remember you, my first true love."

He blushed as she told him this, "Well, you want me to make you breakfast? After all, we didn't end up having dinner last night."

"Yeah, sure, thanks. I'll help make breakfast if you want."

"What? To let a woman make breakfast after we sleep together is a shame to my honour. I would never do such a thing. Could I ask you to leave my room temporarily so I could get changed, though?" He asked.

"Hmm… what if I want to watch you get changed?" She asked playfully.

"I don't mind," he told her, his voice becoming husky.

"Well, it's not like I haven't seen you topless before," she told him.

"Although, you haven't seen my lower half… yet," he added the 'yet' on at the end playfully.

He slowly began to remove his top, and Amu gasped as she saw his neck. "That… that's the key that matches my lock necklace." Amu reached into her top, and pulled out her lock necklace, "Were you given that key by the principal?"

Kukai smiled, "I was. The truth is I knew you were the one with the lock."

"What? Why didn't you just let me discover it on purpose then?"

"The principal said he's doing a different thing for the boys. He gave me three keys. Only one of them fits. He plays such evil games… I only have one chance. If I choose the right key the first time, it's supposed to mean we're destined to be together or something," he told her, "He told me at the end that fate doesn't treat those who cheat kindly. If I cheated the game, the key I selected would be wrong."

"Well, I don't really believe in all this psychic stuff. I'll still like you, it doesn't really matter if the key fits or not," she told him.

"Well, 3 is a lucky number right? I'll use the third one…" Kukai slowly grabbed the third key that was hanging around his neck. Slowly, he bought the key closer to Amu's lock. He tried to put the key in, but it didn't fit.

"Guess we aren't destined to be together, eh?" He told her.

Amu scoffed, "Stupid principal. I bet they're all fake."

Kukai started cracking up, "You know him so well already. It wouldn't surprise me. Anyway, unless you actually want to see my lower body that badly, you'd probably wanna get out of the room."

"Haha, well okay. I'll see you outside then," Amu told him. Amu exited the room.

Before long Kukai came out, simply wearing trackies, a t-shirt and a green hoodie.

"I don't even see the point of you dressing up," Amu told him, "No matter what you wear you look so freaking hot."

He flashed a smile at her, which just made him look even hotter. "Well, I'll make you breakfast. Is pancakes fine?"

"Pancakes would be lovely, thanks. You're such a gentleman."

"Ah, thank you. I try my hardest, especially for you."

Amu blushed. Today would be a good day.

* * *

><p>Neither Amu nor Kukai went to their club activities that day either. Amu left Kukai's dorm in the afternoon and went home. She knew that Yaya would pick up Ami for her, and didn't want to risk going to school after she had wagged. Amu had known that Nadeshiko and Yaya would immediately pick up on the fact that something had happened. Amu couldn't help it. She was elated. She was now dating Kukai, and now understood why people said that the greatest love of life is love itself.<p>

When Nadeshiko, Yaya and Ami came home, Nadeshiko began questioning Amu immediately.

"So, what did you get up to that you couldn't come home last night?"

"Uhh… it's a long story. I can't really tell you much. We didn't do anything, we just slept in the same bed."

"Slept in the same bed? And that's 'nothing'?" Nadeshiko asked, "That is a major development. So did you guys admit your love?"

"Umm… yes. We're dating now…"

"**Oh. My. God!**" Nadeshiko screamed, "You go girl! I knew he would want it to be a date, too."

"Anyway, I need to do my maths homework," Amu told her.

"Oh, stupid maths. Can you help me with one of the questions?" Nadeshiko asked.

"Yeah, sure." Amu easily solved the question Nadeshiko was having trouble with, and showed her how to do it.

"You're so smart, why do you do the lowest class?"

"Well, I'm never going to use maths in the future, what's the point in doing a higher class?"

"How do you know? Isn't it good to leave your options open?"

Amu thought about her question for a moment, "Well, I'll think about it. If I'm going to change classes, I'll have to do it at the start of next term, anyway."

"Plus, if you do a fourth examinable subject, you'll be eligible to go to university, if you want to, of course."

"Yeah, I'll think about it. Anyway, let's do the rest of this homework, shall we?"

The evening passed by quickly. The next day Kukai made no effort to hide the fact that the two were dating. By now, the whole school knew about it. There were many jealous girls, yet none of them showed it in front of Amu. Amu knew that two of the guardians dating each other would create a storm, yet she hadn't expected it to be a hurricane. Everywhere they went; people would be talking about them. Amu was exhausted after school every day. Like this, a week passed by quickly. There was still no news on who had written the article on Amu. Kukai, Nadeshiko and Yaya were busy every day practicing for the statewide dance competition, which was supposedly being held this Friday. Amu noted that Nadeshiko was particularly tired when she came home. She had the solo song as the first performance. If she didn't do the solo well, they would lose the competition. She had to grab the audience's attention well. The dance club was trying to change their dance a bit, reflecting the performance at the talent show. Kukai asked Amu to come in to help on Wednesday, since she seemed to be adept at performance issues.

Just as they had at the talent show, the danced well, but they didn't have anything that grabbed the attention of the audience.

"Okay, you need to sex it up a bit. It's a well known fact that people pay attention to sexier performances more. First thing I suggest is losing these jackets. Instead of wearing white jeans, how about the girls wear white skirts, while Kukai can stick with the jeans?"

Everyone was paying full attention to what Amu told them, "Okay, let's go with that, guys," Nadeshiko told them all.

"Additionally, I think, Kukai, you should wear a tight white top. I think all the girls should have a top that doesn't cover their stomach. It'd be good to also have the top buttons undone, and wear a push-up bra." Everyone nodded in agreement, "Also, this part of the dance is useless I think. Really, it's just a filler part of the dance. I want to replace it with something a bit sexier." Amu continued spouting her ideas off to the dance club, all of which they took on board. After she finished, Nadeshiko asked her a question.

"Are you sure about this, Amu? It seems like I'll be getting a bit intimate with Kukai…"

"Yeah, he has to touch my ass, that's icky!" Yaya told her.

"If you guys want to win, you'd better do this. At the talent show, your dance was good, but you just didn't have that extra factor which gave you the win. Since you're already doing a fairly plain dance, you need to be extra creative to sex it up a bit. That's the part I'm good at."

"Well, I agree that the performance will make us stand out," Kukai told her, "Don't worry, I promise I won't enjoy it, Amu."

Amu rolled her eyes, "I really couldn't care less. We're dancers, we'll both have to get used to the fact that sometimes one of us will have to get intimate with someone else. For dancers, they need to have chemistry with each other. Actually, I want you to enjoy it. If you don't, the judges will notice. These guys are professionals."

"What? There's no way I could!"

"Well, just imagine it's me," Amu told him. He immediately blushed after Amu said this.

"Thanks, Amu!" The dance club chorused at the same time, excluding Kukai, who was still busy blushing.

Kukai walked up to Amu and pecked her on the lips, "Well, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Wow, you're so eager to get rid of me. What if I wanted to stay and watch?"

"Really?" Nadeshiko asked her, "Would you do that?"

"Of course, you make me out to be some horrible person who would never help."

Amu stayed to watch their dance practice, giving tips all along the way. The club practiced until it got dark. Nadeshiko had decided she had best end the practice, telling them that they would practice late tomorrow. The dance competition would be the day after. After Amu bid goodnight to Kukai, they parted with a goodnight peck. Amu, Nadeshiko and Yaya headed back to their dorm.

"Thanks for your help," Nadeshiko told Amu.

"It's no problem."

"No, really. I'll make you dinner tonight."

"Well, I guess I can accept that," Amu told her.

The four of them ate dinner together. After Amu's shower, she noticed that Nadeshiko wasn't around.

"Is Nadeshiko already asleep?" Amu asked Yaya.

"She's practicing her solo dance outside."

Amu raised her eyebrow. She knew that Nadeshiko was stressed out about having a full song solo. Amu walked outside to see her groan in frustration.  
>"Everything alright?" Amu asked.<p>

Nadeshiko sighed, "I'm really worried about my solo dance. Could you help me, Amu?"

"Help you? You beat me in the talent show, though. Why would you need me to help you?"

"I actually don't know how I beat you. To be honest, my performance wasn't that good. I know I can dance well, but my actual ability to perform was low. That's why I want your help, Amu. Please… help me improve?"

"Of course, I'd never say no. You need to give yourself some more credit. You owned that stage, you made it yours. I'll tell you this; your performance was better than mine."

"Thanks, Amu."

"Well, show me the dance. I'll tell you what I think you should improve…"

* * *

><p>The next day Nadeshiko told Amu that they were going to be practicing their dance all day, excluding form period. She asked Amu if she had wanted to come, to be their mentor.<p>

Amu laughed, "Yeah, sure I'll come. We have form period to get through first, though." As they walked into class, Kukai quickly got up from his chair to greet Amu with a peck. They talked about their upcoming performance tomorrow. Before long, Nikaido started the class.

After he had finished talking about what most of the class needed to do today he asked the guardians to come up to his desk.

"Sorry class, I'll need to leave for a moment," he told the class before turning to address the guardians, "You guys will need to come with me." Nikaido led them to a storeroom. "I'm sorry that I need your help with this, but you know how I'm so clumsy…"

The five guardians all began laughing, "You got that right," Amu told him, "You can barely get into class without falling over at least once."

Nikaido scratched his head while laughing. "Well, Kukai, could you grab that big container over there, since you're big and strong. Tadase, could you get that box?" He asked the two males, pointing at boxes as he did. "Yaya, you can take this stack of paper. Amu, would you grab that box over there?" Amu and Yaya went off to grab their respective items.

"What did you want me to get?" Nadeshiko asked.

"Well, you see that shelf over there. There's a stepladder leading up to the shelf. Can you grab a box at the very top of that shelf?" Nikaido asked, "You can just chuck it down to me when you've grabbed it, its pretty light."

"Oh, sure," Nadeshiko told him. She began to climb the stepladder. When she reached the top, she saw the box Nikaido must have been talking about. She picked it up; he was right when he had told her it was light. It must have only weighed half a kilogram. She climbed down a few steps before throwing it towards Nikaido, who was waiting at the bottom of the ladder. As he caught the box, he stumbled. Instead of stumbling backwards, however, he stumbled forwards. He crashed into the step ladder, and the step ladder began to fall in his direction. He quickly rolled out of the way, as Nadeshiko began screaming, as she fell off the ladder. Her scream caught the attention of the other four guardians, who came running immediately. They saw her lying on the ground, screaming in pain. Tadase quickly pulled out his mobile phone, and dialled an ambulance. Yaya ran to tell the nurse what had happened. Kukai and Amu kneeled beside Nadeshiko, asking if she was alright.

"It hurts. I think I broke my leg…" Nadeshiko told them.

"Broke your leg? How can you perform?" Amu asked.

Nadeshiko started laughing, "Of course, it had to be today…"

"Don't think about it," Kukai told her, "We can perform without you. You just need to worry about getting better."

"No!" Nadeshiko shouted, "You can't perform without me, I have a solo! See! I'm so useless. I always ruin things when I'm needed the most." They could see tears starting to form in Nadeshiko's eyes. "We couldn't compete last year… I know all of the girls were all looking forward to this so much."

Kukai started laughing, "You think they were that eager? The reason they wanted to do it so much was since they knew you wanted it badly… Those girls all love you to death, Nadeshiko."

"No! You don't understand! They'll be disappointed in me. I'm a failure!"

"No, they're not like that!"

"Even if they're not like that, I am. How can all of our hard work gone to waste? I just wanted us to be able to compete… It was what would unite us, for what might be the last time…" Nadeshiko was still wincing in pain as she told them this. It was at this moment, Yaya and the nurse came rushing into the storeroom. The nurse rushed over to Nadeshiko to check out her leg. Amu and Kukai backed off as she checked out Nadeshiko's leg. She told Nadeshiko she would need to be taken to the hospital, and they would need to wait for the ambulance to arrive, and that there was nothing she could do. Hearing this, Amu, Kukai and Yaya rushed back to her side.

"You guys need to still do the competition," Nadeshiko told them.

"How can we, though, without you? We can't change the solo now, even if anyone could somehow learn a solo in one day…" Yaya told her. "Don't worry about it; no-one blames you, Nadeshiko."

Nadeshiko's face immediately brightened as Yaya said this, although pain was still evident in her expression. "I have the perfect solution; you gave me the idea just then."

The three looked at her, confusion in their eyes.

"Amu, I want you to do the solo."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry for the cliché ending! I hate when my stories are so cliché, but I really needed Amu to do the solo, it's very important for the plot… **

**Just to let you guys know about the basic structure of this story; it has three major arcs, each spanning one school term. However, the first arc only spans half a school term since Amu only came to Seiyo Academy half way through the first term. The first arc is coming to its climax very soon! Chapter 10 is the last chapter of the first arc, as chapter 11 starts the second arc. Over the past two chapters there've been quite a few hints within the story at how this arc is going to end… **

**Thinking Points:**

**Was there a teacher involved in writing that horrible article about Amu? Who could have done such a thing? Why?**

**Kukai's horrible past! He wasn't OVERLY emotional as he revealed it to Amu… Is there a secret reason for that or is he just mentally strong? Did he reveal everything... is there a part of his past that he didn't mention?**

**He chose the wrong key! Is it foreshadowing of something to come, or is Tsukasa just playing mind games with them?**

**Until next time! **


	10. Chapter 9: Sexy Dancer Chara Part 2

**A/N: Here you all go! The state dancing competition chapter, and the penultimate chapter of the first arc. Things are coming to a climax now; people showing their true colours. Anyway, read on!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9: Sexy Dancer Chara Part 2<strong>

Amu, Kukai and Yaya were sitting in the Auditorium. Nadeshiko had forbidden them from following her, and told them she wouldn't let them enter her hospital room anyway. She had insisted they spend the time practicing.

"I can't do it," Amu told them. "I just feel like I'd be replacing her. I'll feel bad."

"I think you should do it," Kukai told her, "I've known Nadeshiko for a while. I think she truly wants you to do it. She wasn't just saying it."

"We should really do whatever Nadeshiko wants," Yaya told them, "Since we need to cheer her up!"

"You think Nadeshiko would truly want me to do it?" Amu asked, still unsure of her decision.

"Yeah, I know she would," Kukai told her.

"Then… we have practice to do!" Amu told them. "I know that Nadeshiko wouldn't want you guys to pull out now. I'll need all the practice I can get, just as you guys will."

The rest of the dance club was shocked when they heard the news; and worried. They asked if Nadeshiko was all right, and Kukai told them that they would have no idea. She promised that she would watch them perform, though. The dance club seemed to accept Amu as a fill-in for Nadeshiko, perhaps because they had seen her dance at the talent show, or perhaps simply due to the fact she had been helping the dance club recently. The dance club practiced into the night.

* * *

><p>Ami had been ecstatic when Amu had told her, but was sad that she couldn't watch. Nevertheless, Ami understood the need to awake early the next morning. When Amu got to school the teacher in charge, Mrs. Lee, pulled Amu and Yaya aside so they could change into their outfits. Amu got changed into her short white skirt, making sure to wear white shorts underneath. It was the kind of skirt that easily flew up, just as Amu had wanted. She got changed into her sailor top which was far too short, coming to just below her ribcage. She had already been wearing her push-up bra, and unbuttoned the first three buttons, almost exposing her breasts. She changed into her black ballet flats, contrasting the white shoes. Additionally, she wore a black sailor hat. Yaya was already changed when she came out of the change room.<p>

"Oh my god, you look stunning Amu!" She shouted, "I never knew you had such nice legs."

Amu's skirt had been intentionally shorter than the other girls', reflecting her solo dance, in which she needed to show off her legs.

"You don't exactly look like the little innocent baby you act like, either," Amu told her. Yaya was wearing a similar skirt, but it was slightly longer. Her top was just a simple white tank top, but it only came up to just above her belly button. That was the generic outfit for the other girls. Both Amu and Yaya had their hair let out. Soon, Amu saw Kukai walk out of the boy's change room. He was wearing tight white skinny jeans. He was simply wearing a white singlet.

"Is that singlet the right one?" Amu asked.

"Yep," he told her.

"Well, you're bloody hot," she told him.

"God, and look who's talking…" Kukai said, "I'll have to try hard to focus on the dance when you're right in front of me."

Amu laughed before playfully saying, "At least I don't need to worry about you getting too close to other girls, you'll be too mesmerised by me."

Kukai and Yaya both laughed, too. Soon the saw another girl come out of the change room. It was the same girl who had scratched her nails on the blackboard on Amu's first day at school. Amu realised she hadn't even noticed she was in the dance club.

"Ahh, hi, Utau," Yaya said, "Are you nervous?"

She had an absolutely straight face, "No."

"Oh, Utau is it?" Amu began. She saw Utau nod her head, so she continued, "You'll have to let your hair down, and take that hat off for the performance."

"Yes, I'm aware. It doesn't mean I have to take it off now, though," she told Amu coldly.

"Ummm… I guess…" Amu said nervously.

There was an awkward silence before Kukai broke it, "Well, no matter what happens today, as long as we have fun together as a group, it's fine."

"Yeah, that's right!" Yaya said happily.

"It'd be nice if we could win, though, to make Nadeshiko happy," Amu told them.

Soon, the other girls of the dance club all arrived and got changed, before Mrs. Lee led them onto the bus they were taking.

* * *

><p>The group was waiting in anticipation when they arrived at the venue. Before long, nearly every seat in the stand seemed to be filled. The host of the event began to talk to everyone. He explained the event, and introduced the judges. There were a total of 10 judges, who all had very stern looks on their faces, and looked hard to please. Soon, he began announcing the 8 teams who had made it through the preliminary rounds to come this far. Amu had not heard of any of the groups who were announced at first. The Seiyo Academy Dance Club was announced 2nd last. The last group, though, Amu definitely knew. The last group was Easter Corporation. A few gasps were heard throughout the auditorium as this was said. How could Easter be entering a dance competition? It was for people 16 and under. Perhaps it was only recruits from Easter, rather than anyone who had actually debuted. He told the audience that the order they would perform in would be the same as the order he announced them in. Each judge would give a score out of 10, giving the group a total score out of 100.<p>

After the host had finished talking, Amu, Yaya and Kukai all decided to head to the toilet. The other girls also agreed it would be good to go to the toilet before they actually need to go on stage. As Amu was walking past, she heard a familiar voice from inside one of the rooms. She knew that it was familiar, but couldn't quite pinpoint whose voice it was. Amu opened up the door to the room, to see Mrs. Sanjo talking to talking to Utau. Yaya and Kukai walked into the room behind Amu.

"What? Why are you talking to Mrs. Sanjo, Utau?" Kukai asked.

Utau started laughing, "Aren't you people so thick?" She took her hat off, and let down her hair. Amu recognised her now, obviously Kukai and Yaya had too, by the gasps that came from all three of them.

"Utau… Hoshina…" Yaya mumbled.

"Yeah, a star of Easter. Why do you think I joined the dance club? To be a spy, of course. All along, the Easter dance club has known your every move. Let me tell you right now, you are going to lose. Our dance routine is way better than yours."

Amu walked up to Utau slowly, before slapping her. Utau slowly looked at Amu after she had slapped her.

"How dare you?" Amu asked, "HOW DARE YOU? Nadeshiko put so much effort into this, yet, all along, you were sabotaging it? She even ended up with a broken leg!"

"Yes, I was telling them every detail of your dance."

"Why…?" Yaya asked.

Utau started laughing once again, "Why? Because I'm a total bitch that wants to ruin you."

"You were in on this, weren't you, Mrs. Sanjo?" Amu asked.

"What do you expect me to do? Easter is my company, I'm sorry Amu," she told her.

"What do I expect you to do?" Amu shouted incredulously, "I expect you to play fair. I can't believe you're the type of person that would do something like this."

"Well, you better believe it," Mrs. Sanjo said coldly.

Kukai grabbed Amu's hand, and slowly led her out of the room. Yaya followed after her.

"There's nothing we can do about it. Them knowing our dance routine doesn't change anything. It just means we need to perform it extra well, and blow them away," Kukai told them.

"You're right," Amu began, "It makes me so angry, though. How can she betray us like that…?"

"Well, that just makes Yaya more determined to win!" Yaya said.

"You're right. Let's win, no matter what," Amu told them, "I can't believe Easter was like this all along. There's no way I'm going to continue working for a company like this… I'm definitely going to quit. Mrs. Sanjo seemed so nice, too."

Yaya and Kukai only nodded. The three no longer had any desire to go to the toilet, after witnessing the event they just had. They walked back to backstage, Amu holding Kukai's hand the whole time.

It took a while before it was almost Seiyo Academy's turn. The group that was performing just before Seiyo was on their group dance now. The scores up to now had been 60, 66, 54, 74 and 84. Amu noted that the judges were very harsh. A score of 84 would be very hard to achieve. The group going just before Seiyo finished their dance and the judges talked to each other for a few moments. Soon, the head judge announced they had scored 88. Amu began to worry now. She wasn't sure if she could beat them, and she was sure that Easter would get better than 88. Kukai calmed her down though, simply by holding her hand.

"Don't worry, you're better than any of them were," he told her. "You need to believe in yourself, Amu."

"Thanks, Kukai," She told him. She pecked him, before they turned their attention back to the front.

"Our next dancers are our only school group that made it to the top 8. In other words, they are the most talented school dance group in our state already. Aiming to be higher, though, they have tried very hard to get to where they are. Next is Seiyo Academy, dancing to 'Genie' and 'Supa Luv'."

The lights on the stage went off, turning the stage completely black. Amu slowly walked into the middle of the stage, and after about 10 seconds, the music came on.

_Turn it up, just turn it up_  
><em>That's right, c'mon<em>

A single light shone down to reveal Amu standing by herself on the stage as the song started. 

_Tell me your wish. Tell me the little dreams in your heart, draw the ideal woman in your head and look at me. I'm your genie, your dream, your genie_

As the actual song started, Amu took a large step forward, and the light illuminated the whole stage now. She pointed at the head judge, before moving her hips in a circular motion. She made sure to go as wide as she possibly could. She licked her lips as she did this. At the end of the third line, she ran her hands down her body, beginning from her face. She made sure to open her shirt as much as possible as she did, without actually revealing her breasts. She heard wolf whistles from much of the audience as she did this. At the end of this stanza, she pointed at two different judges this time, winking at them as she did. 

_Ride your dream car and race along, sit next to me. Throw your everything into my enticement. Even if your heart bursts and flies in the wind. In this moment, the world is yours_

At the start of the stanza she once again walked forward. She made sure to use her hips as she walked, and put one leg in front of the other, but not so far it looked ridiculous. As she swung her body to the side in the second line she made sure to flick her hips, so her skirt flew up, revealing her white shorts. At the fourth line, as she began to move forward while flicking her legs, she made sure her skirt flew up with each flick. She also made sure to show off her legs as much as possible. Many of the audience members were cheering by now, obviously enjoying the show Amu was putting on. 

_That's right, I love you. I always believe in you. Dreams and passions, I want to give them all to you. I'm a good luck goddess that wants (wants) to make your wish come true. Tell me your wish (I'm genie for you, boy). Tell me your wish (I'm genie for your wish). Tell me your wish (I'm genie for your dream). Tell only me (I'm genie for your world)_

At the end of the first line, as Amu was dragging her hands up her body, she made sure to pull her shirt up with the palms of her hands. She pulled it up until the audience could see the very bottom of her bra, before letting go and raising her hands into the air. As the leg part came again, Amu maintained what she had done last time. She looked the judges in the eye as she performed this part of the dance. She noticed that one of the younger male judges was totally into her performance. That made things easier for her. At the end of the third line, as Amu swung her hips, she made sure to stick her bum out. At the second last line of the chorus, as she swung her arms around the bottom of her body, she made sure she kept her arms close to her body, lifting her skirt as she swung them. At the very end of the chorus, as she slowly lowered her body, she swung her hips in wide circles. The stage went dark and only a single light illuminated Amu. She smirked and then the light turned off and the music ceased. As soon as the lights went off, the group quickly got up and got into the ready position for the start of their next song. They got into their V shape, with Amu at the front. Directly behind Amu was Yaya. Kukai was not in his ordinary position in the V, though, instead he stood in front of Amu.

_DJ, put it back on  
><em>

Suddenly, the lights came back on, revealing the whole group being on stage. Kukai stood at the front of the pack, shirtless. He lip synced the 'DJ, put it back on.' Girly screams could now be heard throughout the auditorium, as a direct opposite to those that were heard while Amu had been dancing.

There was a slight pause in the music. Kukai ran back into the V shape and put his shirt on quickly. After a few seconds the music started again.

_Oh! I got that Supa Luv, that Supa Luv, no__. __Oh oh, ooo oh oh, ooo oh oh, ooo whoa-oa. I make them say, I make them say, say, let's go  
><em>

The group was all facing the ground. As the lyrics started, their heads shot up, almost mechanically. As the second line started, the group all made sure to pump their chests with each beat. For the girls, this pushed their breasts out further. In the third line, while they pumped their hands in the air, they made sure to be pulling their shirt down with the other hand, exposing their chests.

_Who knows you other than me? You say he loves you just as much as me (refuse, refuse) now stop what you are doing, stop thinking, accept me (believe, believe)_

At the start of the verse, Kukai and Amu came forward, as the rest of the group stayed in their place. Kukai dropped his body to the floor, as he kneeled in front of Amu. Amu picked him up by the shoulder. After he stood, she pulled her body closer to his, and slowly began to bring his shirt up. As she got it to the top of his chest, though, she let go and moved behind.

_Even if the sky and ocean are big and wide, they can't do as much as my heart, no. I'm yours. You are my other half. La la la la la tell me that u love me, too. Even if you look, there is no one like me_

At the start of the verse, Kukai now came to the front for the dance, and the group followed the quick actions of the dance. At the third line, however, Kukai moved to the side, and Amu now stood in the middle. The other members of the group kneeled to the floor, excluding Yaya who was now standing directly behind Amu. Once the others had kneeled, Amu danced her part, making sure to flick her skirt up each time she leaned forward. At the fourth line, Amu moved to the side and around to behind Yaya. Yaya held her hand on her crutch, thrusting her hips as she swung her arms side to side. Then at the start of the fifth line, Yaya ran forward. She slowly lifted her skirt, before letting go of it and moving back, as Amu came back to the front of the group.

_I got that Supa Lu-u-u-u-uv that Supa Lu-u-u-u-uv. She want my Supa Lu-u-u-u-uv, my Supa Lu-u-u-u-uv. Incredible, special and thrilling, I got that Supa Lu-u-u-u-uv_

At the start of the chorus, as they jumped in the air all the girls made sure their skirts flipped up, revealing their shorts to the audience. They made sure as they moved their arms, they kept their hips involved in the dance, swaying them side to side. At the start of the fourth line, everyone except Kukai kneeled to the floor. Kukai licked his lips seductively as he looked at the judges. He then danced the last line solo.

_Oh oh, ooo oh oh, ooo oh oh, ooo whoa-oa, oh oh, ooo oh oh, ooo oh oh, ooo whoa_

As the next part started, the rest of the members quickly jumped up. The group totally upped the sexiness of this part from the original version. As they stepped backwards, they dragged their shirts up, to just above the very bottom of their breasts. As they stepped forward on the 'whoa-oa' part, they thrust their hips as they let their shirts fall back down. The audience was whistling as they pulled their shirts up.

_You pretend you don't see me, but sometimes our eyes are meeting, proof of my feelings - I hear my heart beating. You want it Supa Luv_

At the start of the verse Kukai came to the middle as everyone made a large circle around him, kneeling as they did. He began to slowly lift his shirt, before completely ripping it. As he ripped it, girly screams could be heard from the audience. It was understandable, after all, he was freaking hot. By now, he was sweating too, from both the dancing and the lights. The sweat beads glistened on his abs. Half way through the second line, he began to slowly pull his jeans down. It revealed the waistline of his boxers. As the third line started, though, he let go of his jeans, and they came back to their original position. He raised his hand in the sky, lip syncing the third line. 

_Anyway, it's my choice. Decide after considering ahead of time, eventually, you will go crazy for me, it's certain no matter who sees the truth. Like a hurricane sweeps it all away. Now listen to my worries, I am different, just cut my love spring will never dry_

Kukai ran forward, out of the circle that had been created by the other dancers. As the third line started, the other dancers got up, and lined up. At the start of the fourth line, Kukai turned away from the audience, and back towards the dancers. He ran behind the dancers, and walked across the line of the dancers, slapping the ass of each one as he walked across. As each dancer got slapped, they went from bent over to standing straight, exaggerating the slap. As the last line started, he went back to his position, which was now directly behind the front person and Amu came back to the front.

_I got that Supa Lu-u-u-u-uv, that Supa Lu-u-u-u-uv. She want my Supa Lu-u-u-u-uv, my Supa Lu-u-u-u-uv. Incredible, special and thrilling. __I got that Supa Lu-u-u-u-uv._

_Yeah, see what I'm trying to say baby, is your love__, __plus my love, Supa Luv. You know you want it, how__'s__ that sound?_

As the last part of the song started, Kukai once again came to the front, Amu stepping out of the way as he walked past her. As he lip synced 'your love' he pointed right at one of the female judges, while licking his lips. At the end of the second line, he blew a kiss to the judge, as the rest of the dancers began to walk to the back of the stage. He, too walked back after blowing one final kiss to the audience. After they finished the dance, the screams from the audience were almost deafening.

It took a few minutes before the audience had quietened down, and the host came back to the stage, and came to the microphone, "Well that was one sexy performance from Seiyo Academy. They had me sweating for a few moments there. Anyway, we'll see what our judges thought after they have decided on their votes."

Amu and Kukai were holding hands, and standing at the front of the group. Amu's grip tightened on Kukai's hand, as she was very nervous. Kukai gripped her hand tightly, as if he was telling her everything would be alright. The judges finished their talking, and the head judge took his microphone.

"Seiyo Academy – 92!" He announced. Amu jumped up in excitement and hugged Kukai as he said this. Many of the other girls jumped in excitement too.

"What a surprising turn of events this is," the host began, "Seiyo Academy came into the competition as the least favoured to win, but has now come out on top! Can they hold their lead against the final act; the most favoured to win, Easter Corporation?"

The dance club made their way backstage, and everyone hugged each other, congratulating each other.

"Well, we can't celebrate too much yet," Kukai told them, "If anyone was gonna beat us in this competition, it was always gonna be Easter. After all, we now know they have Utau Hoshina on their side… she could prove a challenging rival."

"You're right," Amu told him, "But even if they beat us, we've still gotten 2nd place. That's 2nd place in the whole state!"

"Yeah! I hope Nadeshiko saw us!" Yaya said excitedly.

"Yeah, I'm sure she did," Amu addressed the whole group, "And I'm sure she's proud of each and every single one of you. You guys have come a long way, even in the two days I've been with you guys."

"There you go again, Amu," Kukai began, "Always lowering yourself. I love ya to death, but you need to give yourself more credit." Amu looked at him questioningly. "I mean that we're not the only ones Nadeshiko is proud of. She'd be proud of you, too, Amu. Whether you're part of the dance club or not, you're always in our heart."

Amu smiled at Kukai, before embracing him and kissing him. They were interrupted, however, when Yaya said, "Oh! Easter's performance is starting."

The group all looked at the stage, which was currently pitch black. Suddenly, a single light shone down to illuminate the solo artist. Amu, Kukai and Yaya all gasped as they saw who was standing on the stage. Amu's legs almost failed her for a second. Standing on the stage, about to perform Easter's solo was Ikuto.

"Since when has Ikuto been a part of Easter?" Amu questioned.

Ikuto stood there in black trackies. He wore no shirt. As the music started, he began dancing to 'Lucifer'. Amu noted the fluidity and sexiness of his motions. Additionally, he made the dance look easy. When looking at the steps, though, Amu could tell the dance was extremely difficult. At the first part break in the lyrics, the actions were too fast that even Amu hadn't been able to catch on to how to do the dance. A dance that Amu couldn't learn after watching it once meant it was a very hard dance. The girls were screaming as he danced, and it was understandable. He was **so sexy **as he danced.

"This looks bad…" Amu began.

"I know," Kukai told her, "Who knew that Ikuto was such a good dancer. He's better than me…"

"And he's better than me. He could probably rival Nadeshiko," Amu told him.

The applause and screams that ensued when Ikuto finished his solo were massive. They died down as the lights came on as the second song started. The lights revealed Utau standing at the front of a group of 5 dancers. Ikuto was nowhere to be scene. The dancers were all wearing black simple clothes, while Utau alone wore a white dress. The song started and Amu recognised it as 'Run Devil Run'. Compared to 'Lucifer', the dance was quite easy, as Amu saw. However, it was a naturally sexy dance. Utau then took the sex appeal to a whole different level. The second dance had to be a group dance, but it was basically a solo for Utau. The background dancers had known the dance well, and had danced well. The positioning and colour of Utau's dress, though, bought all attention to her. No one payed any attention to the background dancers. It was really a very smart tactic. After she had finished her dance, Ikuto came back onto stage, and the applause was massive. As Amu listened, she couldn't help but hear the applause last for longer than it had for them. The judges began talking to each other, and counting their scores. As the head judge grabbed his microphone, Kukai grabbed Amu's hand, nervous to find out the result.

"Easter Corporation – 94!" Amu felt her heart drop when she had heard this. Utau had won. Justice had not won out in the end. Amu could tell Kukai was disappointed too.

"Well, we still got second place," Kukai said.

"Yeah, true. And we still did a bloody good dance," Amu told them.

"We have nothing to be ashamed of. Our dance was awesome; we couldn't have done any more. Sudden last minute changes put us at a disadvantage, yet we still only lost by 2 points. Think of it that way," Yaya told them.

"Yeah, well, we're being called out on stage," Kukai told them, and the group all walked out on stage.

The award ceremony took place, with Seiyo taking 2nd place, and Easter in 1st. After the award ceremony, Amu was walking through the halls, as she saw Ikuto.

"Hey, Ikuto!" She yelled.

Ikuto slowly turned around, "Ah… Hello, Amu."

"You're a really good dancer… like **really **good. It's a pity we were on different teams, eh?"

He smirked, "Let me tell you something. If you're on the side with the guardians, we will **always **be on different teams. Don't think we can ever be friends while you're friends with them."

After saying this he turned around, and walked away. Amu was left speechless. There was obviously something that had happened in the past between the guardians and Ikuto. Suddenly, Kukai came up from behind Amu.

"Ahh, today was tiring," he whined.

"Yeah, tell me about it. I want to try and find Nadeshiko," she told him.

"Oh, good idea. She should be in here somewhere." The two of them began walking around, trying to find Nadeshiko. Amu spotted the principal, and quickly ran over to him. Nadeshiko was next to the principal, sitting in a wheelchair.

"You're in a wheelchair?" Amu asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine though. They said it was lucky it was only a minor break, it'll only take 2 or 3 weeks to heal."

"Did you see our performance?" Kukai asked her.

"Yes, you two were so good!" Nadeshiko said excitedly, "And the intimacy was definitely there! Way better than if I had done it."

Amu scoffed, "No way. I know I'm good but comparing me to you is a total no-no. I will never be as good as you."

The time passed as they talked to Nadeshiko, telling her about Utau and Mrs. Sanjo and just about their past two days in general. Before long, they had to get back on the bus to head back to school. Nadeshiko, too, came on the bus this time. Apparently the principal had taken her here personally.

When they got back to school, it was about time to go home.

"Amu… do you wanna come with me for a bit? I have something to talk to you about," Kukai told her. He sounded unsure of himself, which worried Amu. What if it was something bad?

"Yeah, sure. I'll see you at home Nadeshiko."

Kukai led Amu to a hill, where he laid down. Amu laid beside him, cuddling up to him.

"I want to try the key again, Amu," he told her.

"Uhh, sure… but why? I love you no matter what," Amu told him.

"Please… this is important to me."

"Sure then," Amu told him as she leaned in to quickly kiss him. As she pulled out, Kukai pulled his necklace from under his shirt. "Only two on the necklace now?"

"Yeah. I took off the one I know is wrong. Now, it's a 50% chance it's the right one… Adding the chance from the first one, altogether we've had a 66% chance to get this. We must be cursed if it doesn't work…" he told her quietly.

"Kukai, you're scaring me. I love you no matter what. I don't care about fate or chance. We can't let that overrule our love."

"Don't worry, I won't," he told Amu. He slowly picked one of the keys, and bought it closer to Amu's necklace. He tried to fit it into the hole, but it didn't fit.

He started laughing when it didn't fit, "I knew it. Maybe we aren't meant to be?"

Amu silenced his thoughts with a kiss, "Shut up!" Amu yelled. "After you were the one that chased after me, and made me fall in love with you so bad, you're gonna have doubts and second thoughts because of some stupid chance game?"

He closed his eyes, "That's not the reason…" Amu could see pain on his face; not physical pain though. It was emotional pain.

He hugged Amu slowly, as he whispered in her ear, "Amu… I'm moving."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: … Well, there you have chapter 9. I know that was a very evil ending. But remember a few chaps ago he said that the time when they were going to part was sooner than Tadase knew? That time when I gave you guys the false idea that Kukai was leaving. Well, this is what he was talking about. No tricks this time.**

**Things to think about:**

**Will Kukai really leave? I may as well tell you guys, if Amu asks him not to go then he won't. Will she ask him not to leave? Will anyone else try to stop him from leaving?**

**Amu is quitting Easter? Will she really be able to quit? Will Easter do some nasty manoeuvre to get her to stay?**

**Both of these above points lead into the second arc… New characters will be introduced, friendships will be made, and friendships will be destroyed. Some characters will have more major roles, and some characters will have more minor roles. Pasts will be revealed, and will come back to haunt them. Evil plots will be uncovered and, of course, relationships will be broken and destroyed! Any guesses on the second arc?**

**Well… until next time!**


	11. Chapter 10: Girlfriend Chara Part 1

**A/N: Hello everyone! I bet you've been waiting for this… Here's the climax of the first arc! Next chapter is the start of the second arc. Read on!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>**:**** Girlfriend Chara Part 1**

Amu parted from him as he said this, "What…?"

"I'm so sorry, Amu… I was offered a position to train at the Canberra national sports centre… If I do this, I could become a famous sportsperson. My dream could come true…"

Amu closed her eyes, as tears threatened to overflow if she didn't, "I see…"

"I won't move if you don't want me to, though. I was so close to denying it because of you. I… I love you. I would give up my dreams for you. If you ask me to, I still will… I need the answer by Monday evening. If you don't stop me, I'll tell them I'll go… I'm leaving Thursday."

Amu embraced Kukai, as tears began flowing from her eyes. She said nothing, but simply cried into his shoulder. She couldn't stop him from leaving, she wouldn't. She knew that wouldn't be fair. Yet, she wanted nothing more than to stop him from leaving. Her tears spoke for her. Kukai, too, said nothing, but simply hugged Amu. The two stayed this way for a while.

"I'm sorry… I should get back to my dorm," Amu told him.

"Yeah… sure."

Just like that, Amu let go of his arms, and turned her back on him. She began to walk away. What was walking away from, she didn't know. When she came back to her dorm with her eyes red and swollen, Nadeshiko and Yaya quickly asked what happened.

"I just need to be alone; can you guys take care of Ami?" Amu asked.

"Yeah, sure," they told her.

Amu walked to her room, where she lied down and sleep overcame her within a minute. Amu's alarm woke her the next morning, and she realised she had work. That caused Amu to remember the event that had unfolded between her and Mrs. Sanjo yesterday. She really didn't want to work for such a low person. Amu had already decided she would quit Easter. She knew it would be hard to find weekend work where she could earn enough money, but Amu didn't need large amounts of money. That was when Amu decided she would call in sick to work. Mrs. Sanjo was less than understanding when she called, but Amu didn't care. Right now, there was only one thing on her mind.

Soon, Nadeshiko came into Amu's room, "Hey… are you alright?"

Amu smiled at Nadeshiko, "It's over between me and Kukai…"

Nadeshiko's eyes widened as she said this, "What…? Why…?"

"He's moving to Canberra… He said he'll stay if I ask him to."

"Then why don't you ask him to?" Nadeshiko asked incredulously, "Obviously you want him to, or you wouldn't be crying in your bed."

"You don't understand. He can become a professional sportsman if he goes to Canberra. I don't have the right to stop him. No matter how bad I want to, I can't." Tears once again began to flow from Amu's eyes, and Nadeshiko lay down in her bed and hugged her.

"It's alright, Amu."

"Don't you need to go to work?" Amu asked.

"Don't worry; I took the day off work. I'll be with you as long as you want."

"Thanks, Nadeshiko. You're really my best friend."

"I think I'll take Monday off school," Amu told her, "If I don't tell him to stay before Monday, he'll tell the guys he's going."

"You can't hide forever, Amu," Nadeshiko told her.

"I know… But if I go to school, I'm not sure I'll be able to stop myself from stopping him from leaving."

"Ahh… sure. I'll stay with you as long as you need," Nadeshiko told her.

Amu laughed quietly, "This seems familiar. How come it's always me crying? I've never asked you… Do you have anyone you like, Nadeshiko? Is it as much drama as mine?"

Nadeshiko thought about the question for a moment, "Yeah, I do have someone I like. The person's a lot closer than they know… As much drama? Well let's just say that there's no way I'd ever be able to date that person…"

"Oh, sounds harsh," Amu told her.

Nadeshiko simply smiled at Amu, "But, when that person is happy, it makes me happy. That's why I don't mind if we can never date, as long as I can see that person happy…"

Nadeshiko and Amu continued conversing, Nadeshiko constantly trying to cheer Amu up, and mostly succeeding.

* * *

><p>Amu didn't go to work on Sunday either, and followed through with her plan to not go to school on Monday. Nadeshiko made sure to stay home with her. The two had fun; but Nadeshiko could tell that behind her façade, Amu was in pain. After school finished on Monday, Kukai came over to their dorm. He had wanted to see Amu. Nadeshiko, however, was the one to answer the door.<p>

"Nadeshiko… please, can you call Amu?" Kukai asked.

"She doesn't want to see you," Nadeshiko told him harshly, "She hates you now."

Kukai gulped as he heard her say this, "I see…" he said sadly. Amu was listening to the conversation, and felt her heart drop after hearing Kukai sound so sad. She couldn't back down, though. She had to push him away. "Can you just tell her that… I love her so much. No matter how long I'm gone, I will be in love with her the whole time. I'll come back at some point… I don't expect her to wait for me, but, if she does want me back, I'll jump at the chance. I will call her every day," Kukai told Nadeshiko, knowing that Amu would be listening to the conversation.

Amu stepped out from behind the wall, "Thanks, Kukai… I don't really hate you. I just love you so much… I will slap you 100 times for every day you don't call me when you get back," Amu told him playfully, attempting to lighten up the mood.

"Will you wait for me?" Kukai asked her.

Amu closed her eyes and gulped as she thought of her answer, "Yes… I'll wait for you."

Kukai smiled as she told him this, "We don't have dance club tomorrow, so do you wanna skip school and go on a real date with me?"

Amu smiled as he asked this, "Yeah, sure."

"Well, I better go now. Goodbye kiss?" He asked.

"Sure," Amu told him before leaning in closer. She put her hands on the back of his head as she put her lips to his. He wrapped his hands around her waist as they kissed. When their lips finally parted, Kukai was the one to pull away.

"Good night, Amu," he told her.

"Night," Amu replied simply.

As Amu walked back into their dorm, Nadeshiko came up to her and hugged her.

"You're really going to let him go?" Nadeshiko asked her.

Amu only nodded, and Nadeshiko hugged Amu tightly, as a small painful smile flashed across her face, "Well, they do say that instead of crying because something has ended, you should be happy it happened, right?"

"Yeah, right," Amu told her.

"If I was to leave, I would hope you wouldn't cry. Instead, I'd want you to be happy. I'd want you to make new friends. As much as it would pain me to see it happen, I want whatever is best for you," Nadeshiko told her.

"… Are you trying to say something?" Amu asked.

"Yes, if Kukai doesn't come back, I want you to fall in love again, Amu. You can't wait for him forever. It will pain him to see you fall in love again, but if he truly loves you, he'll let you go."

Amu pulled away from her before flashing a painful smile, "Thanks. He's the one that dragged me out of my darkness, though. I'm not sure I **will **be able to fall in love with anyone else."

"You will," Nadeshiko told her confidently, "They say everything happens for a reason. Perhaps the reason you met Kukai was so he could pull you out of your darkness, and allow you to fall in love again. Now that you've been pulled out, you just have to make sure you don't go back, and then you'll be able to fall in love again."

"Maybe, just maybe," Amu told her.

"Well, you should probably go to school at least once this week, considering it's the last week of term," Nadeshiko told her.

"Last week of term?" Amu asked, surprised.

"Yeah, didn't you know?"

"Oh, and I didn't realise, does it hurt for you to be standing up and hugging me?"

"Oh, don't worry. I'm not putting weight on that foot."

"Well, anyway. How about I make us all dinner tonight?" Amu asked her.

"Yeah, thanks," Nadeshiko told her.

* * *

><p>The next day, Amu got dressed and got ready for her date with Kukai. She had, once again, borrowed Nadeshiko's clothes. She was wearing purple leggings, with a purple dress that had white frills at the bottom. Over the top she wore a pink jacket. When Kukai came to pick her up, Amu saw he was simply wearing black pants, with an orange and white hoodie.<p>

"Ahh, my princess," he began, "Are you ready for your date?"

Amu rolled her eyes at his antics, "Yes, my prince."

Kukai took Amu's hand, before he asked, "So what are we going to do?"

Amu stayed silent for a moment, "You were supposed to have decided already!"

Kukai laughed for a moment, "Don't worry, I have a good idea. Just follow me."

Amu didn't really have a choice whether to follow him or not, considering the grip he had on her hand. He led her down the streets, Amu not knowing where she was going. Before long, they ended up at time zone.

"Wow, how romantic," Amu told him sarcastically.

"Just you wait," he told her before leading her inside. He took her to the stall in the very corner, a photo booth.

"A photo booth?" Amu questioned.

"Yeah, well, we don't really have any good photos together I realised," He told her, "And I need something to look at every day."

Amu smiled as he led her into the photo booth. He put the money in the machine, before they selected the backgrounds they wanted. They took a mixture of silly photos, and more serious photos. When it came time to select the four they wanted to keep, the two were unanimous in their decision. They both chose the four silly photos, agreeing that it captured their personality better.

After they finished editing their photos and exited the booth, Amu saw 'Dance Dance Revolution' and her eyes lit up.  
>"You wanna play?" Kukai asked, challenging her.<p>

"You bet!" Amu told him.

After about 2 hours at time zone, the two exited. After playing 'Dance Dance Revolution', Amu agreed that a serious date just wasn't their personality. The rest of their date went well, as the two agreed not to mention the leaving at all. Instead, they simply enjoyed their date. When the two arrived back at Seiyo, they saw Yaya, Nadeshiko and Tadase all hanging out together.

"Hey, you two!" Nadeshiko yelled, "We're going to karaoke tomorrow after school, as a sort of goodbye party for Kukai. You two better come."

"Yeah, of course," Amu told her.

"Well, I can't skip my own goodbye party, can I?" Kukai told her.

The next day at school went by quickly. News of Kukai's leaving had spread throughout the school, and many fan girls were sad that day. There were many sympathetic looks towards Amu as she walked through the school. After school finished, the guardians headed to the karaoke bar straight away. They said they needed as much time as possible, since Kukai was leaving tomorrow. Tadase paid as they entered the bar, and they entered the medium room.

The first song went to Kukai. It was the first time Amu had heard Kukai sing; he was alright. Not super good, but he could sing. Yaya sung next; she chose to sing a soprano song, and she **owned **it. She pulled off the high notes with perfection. Tadase sung, albeit reluctantly. He was **awesome **at singing. Amu had no idea what he was worried about. Nadeshiko was the next to sing. She was good as well.

They told Amu it was her turn to sing next. Amu would have usually disagreed, but knew she couldn't refuse since it was Kukai's going away party. She took the microphone as the song 'Bubbly' came on, with the lyrics appearing on the screen. As Amu began singing, the others fell silent. Shock appeared on their faces as they heard Amu's voice. It was understandable; Amu had the voice of an angel. As Amu finished the song, the applause from the four of them was so loud. Kukai hugged Amu tightly.

"Oh my god, and you complimented me!" Nadeshiko yelled.

"You are so bloody good," Kukai told her.

"You sound like an angel!" Yaya said excitedly.

"You're always too modest," Tadase added in.

Amu accepted their compliments shyly. She had known she was a good singer, it ran in the family. Hearing it come from them, though, embarrassed her. The five guardians continued their karaoke for hours on end. As the fifth hour was approaching an end, they decided they had best head home after the fifth hour.

"Well, if we're going to be heading home soon, I have a special song I want to sing," Kukai told them, "It's dedicated to Amu."

_My best friend gave me the best advice; he said 'each day's a gift and not a given right.' _

_Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind and try to take the path less travelled by. That first step you take is the longest stride…_

Kukai put his arm around Tadase as he sung the first line._  
><em>

_Would you call those friends you never see? Reminisce old memories? Would you forgive your enemies? Find that one you're dreaming of, swear up and down to god above that you've finally fallen in love… if today was your last day._

He turned his attention towards Amu as the chorus started. He held her hand with his left, as he held the microphone in his right hand. He sung to her, and Amu payed attention to the lyrics now_._

_Against the grain should be a way of life. What's worth the prize is always worth the fight. Every second counts 'cause there's no second try, so live like you're never living twice. Don't take the free ride in your own life…_

_If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late could you say goodbye to yesterday? Would you live each moment like your last, leave old pictures in the past, donate every dime you had?_

_Would you call those friends you never see? Reminisce old memories? Would you forgive your enemies? Find that one you're dreaming of, swear up and down to god above that you've finally fallen in love… if today was your last day. If today was your last day would you make a mark, by mending a broken heart? You know it's never too late to shoot for the stars, regardless of who you are. So do whatever it takes 'cause you can't rewind a moment in this life… let nothing stand in your way 'cause the hands of time are never on your side…__  
><em>

_If today was your last day…_

After he finished singing, he quickly kissed Amu, "I want you to live every day like it's your last, no matter whether I'm here or not. You might think I'm the one that pulled you out of the dark, but you're wrong. I'm just the messenger, not the message. Even if I leave, you still get the message. That's why you need to live your life to the fullest, always, everyday. I love you."

Amu smiled as he said his speech to her, and was about to say something before she was interrupted by Nadeshiko, "This song isn't really dedicated toa anyone in particular. I guess it applies to all of us." She went up to the screen of the computer, and selected the song, and it came on.

The guardians all recognised the song as it came on, after all, it was famous.

_My eyes are open wide, by the way I made it through the day. I watch the world outside, by the way I'm leaving out today._

Nadeshiko held a smile on her face as she started singing. Amu couldn't help but smile, too. Nadeshiko had a way of always choosing the right thing to cheer her up.

I just saw Haley's Comet shooting, said, "Why are you always running in place?" Even the man in the moon disappeared somewhere in the stratosphere.

Tell my mother, tell my father I've done the best I can to make them realize this is my life, I hope they understand. I'm not angry, I'm just saying… sometimes goodbye is a second chance. Please don't cry one tear for me, I'm not afraid of what I have to say. This is my one and only voice, so listen close, it's only for today

I just saw Haley's Comet shooting, said, "Why are you always running in place?" Even the man in the moon disappeared somewhere in the stratosphere

Tell my mother, tell my father I've done the best I can to make them realize this is my life, I hope they understand. I'm not angry, I'm just saying sometimes goodbye is a second chance.

Nadeshiko put the microphone down as she finished the song, "I think the meaning of the song was pretty clear. Although goodbye's can seem sad, think of it as an opportunity. Sometimes goodbye is a second chance."

"Thanks," Amu muttered

"Thanks, Nadeshiko!" Kukai said happily, smiling.

Tadase told them that their time was up, and they would need to leave the karaoke bar. Kukai held Amu's hand as they left the bar. When they got back to Seiyo, Amu hugged Kukai tightly.

"Goodbye, Kukai…" she told him.

"What are you talking about? You can still come see me off tomorrow," he told her.

"Yeah, of course…" Amu told him sadly.

As Amu, Nadeshiko and Yaya arrived back at their own dorm, Ami was quick to hug them. They ate dinner together, when Amu told Nadeshiko that she wasn't going to go to the airport tomorrow.

"Why not?" Nadeshiko asked.

"I promised myself I won't cry. I can't guarantee that if I go to the airport. This is a new step, a new journey; for both me and Kukai. Tears aren't needed."

"Well… okay then, Amu. As long as it's what you truly want."

"It is," Amu told her, certainty in her voice.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Kukai and Tadase were eating dinner together.<p>

"God, I'll be living in this big dorm alone after tomorrow," Tadase told him. Kukai laughed softly.

"You know, Amu said she'd wait for me," Kukai told him.

"Well, that's good isn't it?" Tadase asked him.

"No… that's not fair on her. Besides, fate is against us."

"What are you saying?" Tadase asked him.

"I'm giving her up," Kukai told him as he pulled his key necklace out of his pocket. "Who she ends up with… well… I'm leaving that up to fate." Kukai handed Tadase the necklace.

"What's this?" Tadase asked.

"Well… it's a game of fate, Tadase, do you want to play?"

"Sure," Tadase told him.

* * *

><p>The guardians stood at the airport the next day, excluding Amu and Nadeshiko. Nadeshiko was sitting, as she was in a wheelchair. As for Amu, though, like she had told Nadeshiko, she didn't come.<p>

"So Amu's really not gonna come…" Kukai said sadly.

"I guess not," Tadase told him.

Yaya was crying by now, "How come you're leaving us? It's not fair!"

"Sorry, Yaya. You can call anytime something happens," Kukai told her.

"Well, the guardians will definitely feel a shock. Losing both the queens chair and jacks chair on the same day…" Tadase told them.

"Yeah, well we are catching the same flight… Luckily for us, we'll be living really close to each other when we're in Canberra anyway. I guess we'll never truly be alone," Nadeshiko told them.

Over the loudspeaker they heard the call for the flight to Canberra.

"Well, I guess that's our cue," Kukai told them. Yaya hugged Kukai tightly, before hugging Nadeshiko tightly. Tadase, too, hugged both of them.

"Goodbye, Kukai, Nadeshiko," Tadase began.

"Bye!" Yaya said while sniffling.

After saying their goodbyes, Nadeshiko and Kukai turned their backs, and began, or in Nadeshiko's case, roll, towards the boarding gate. How long it would be until they were seen again was anyone's guess.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: … There you have it. The ending of the chapter. DON'T HATE ME TOO MUCH T_T. As was stated in the story, Kukai will call Amu every day. So, he'll still be in the story. And I'll let you guys know, the two of them will come back sometime before the end of the story. **

**Even though this was the end of an arc, there are actually lots of things that set up future plot lines… Here are some of the things to think about: **

**Who's the extremely secret person that Nadeshiko likes? So secretive that she can't even tell her best friend…?**

**Tadase, Yaya and Amu can all sing very well? Considering the amount of music-related themes in this story, this fact took a while to come out… Is there a reason for that?**

**KUKAI GAVE THE KEYS TO TADASE? Is that symbolic? Is he really giving Amu up?**

**Kukai and Nadeshiko are moving to the same place? That's very suspicious, especially considering they have an unrevealed past…**

* * *

><p><strong>Well, I hope you liked (I don't think that's the right word) the chapter… Did you guys guess Nadeshiko would leave too? I hope not. That was supposed to be a surprise. Well like I said, Kukai will still be in the story, and they'll both come back before the end of the story. There are still so many unresolved story lines relating to the two of them, so of course they have to come back! <strong>

**I'm going to be posting a short "preview" of the second arc within the next few days. xD Give you guys a taste of what's coming.**

**Hope to see you then!**


	12. Part 2 Preview

**A/N: This is a preview for the second arc. Note that this is like a movie trailer, the scenes shown are not necessarily in order. Also, in order to not spoil too many things I've changed some of the sentences slightly. For example, I changed some names into "he" or "she."**

* * *

><p><strong>Alliances will change…<strong>

"Well, you joined my side, eh, Amu?" Ikuto asked, smirking.

"Joined your side?" Amu asked.

"You joined Easter. I don't know why, Amu, but if I were you, I'd get out while you can…" Ikuto said slowly.

* * *

><p><strong>Rivalries will be formed…<strong>

"This year, the school musical will be an adapted version of 'Wicked'."

"Are you going to audition?" He asked.

"I don't know…" Amu begun, but she was cut off by Kukai.

"You have to!" Kukai told her, "You're so talented at singing and dancing. You should go for the lead role!"

"Elphaba? No way!"

"Why not?" He asked.

"Well… Utau will probably audition for Elphaba… I'm good but I can't compare to an actual pop idol."

* * *

><p><strong>People will be replaced…<strong>

"Our new jack's chair is Kairi Sanjo, while our new queen's chair is Rima Mashiro. Give them a round of applause as they come up to receive their guardian's cape!"

...

"I am already well informed on the guardians' activities," Kairi told him, "And frankly, it's pathetic." A look of shock passed through Tadase's, Yaya's and Amu's face as he told them this. "There is far too much wasted energy. Quite recently, in fact, a fifth member, the joker, was added to help keep up with the work. In fact, if a more effective work schedule was sorted out, the tasks could be done with only 3 people. Just as a piece of information, the addition of the joker has actually had a negative effect."

"For an organisation such as the student council, which is made to support a vast majority, student support is necessary," Rima continued for Kairi, "I think that Amu should be kicked out from the guardians. Her presence is simply a nuisance."

…

"After everything that's happened to me in my life, how can people still expect me to be able to blindly trust them? Everyone I've trusted, everyone I've given my heart to… they've all taken it and stomped on it," Amu said to Tsukasa, tears pouring from her eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>Trust will be betrayed…<strong>

He crashed to the floor, Amu on top of him. He had his hands held around Amu's waist, and he grabbed her ass. Amu's hands were curled around his neck, pulling his face close to hers. Their bodies were pressed together, including their 'lower body parts.'

"You are shameful," Amu heard a voice say. She turned around to see You Ebihara standing there, "Don't you have a boyfriend? Women always complain about how men always cheat, yet you have no problem straddling another guy as soon as your boyfriends gone for a while?"

Amu went silent, and all eyes fell to her, "Don't worry, my conscious is clear."

"Seriously!" He questioned, screaming, "You don't even have any regrets about blatantly cheating on him?"

* * *

><p><strong>Friends will break apart…<strong>

"I can't believe I ever considered Kukai a best friend," Tadase told her, "It sickens me. I don't even consider him a friend now."

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Amu screamed, "God! You're voice is so bloody whiny. I don't know how I could stand listening to you every day. You sound like a dying cat!"

Tadase was so shocked he almost fell out of his chair.

"Oh, and by the way," Amu began, "You can kiss our date goodbye. I'm never going to go on a date with you."

Tadase gulped, he was humiliated.

"Yeah, not so easy is it? You were all fine with saying that you'd rejected fifteen hundred girls, but when you get rejected, it's not so easy is it? Try a taste of your own medicine sometime."

* * *

><p><strong>Lots of flirting will be had...<strong>

"Are you gay?" Amu asked jokingly.

He almost choked, "What?"

"You always talk about fashion; you even knew gave me advice on what to wear..."

"Well, I am a male model. Fashion is of utmost importance…"

"What? You're a model?" Amu was shocked.

"Of course. I'm a professional model. Knowing what to wear for every occasion is especially important to a model."

"Well, most male models are gay."

He rolled his eyes, "You should know I'm not gay by now."

Amu playfully looked away and thought for a moment, "Hmm… I'm not sure.

He crawled over to her, and whispered in her ear, "Want me to prove it to you?"

* * *

><p><strong>Figures from their pasts will appear…<strong>

Amu was about a third of the way through the line. After everyone had lined up they walked single file into the green screen room. As Amu entered she saw a seating frame, with three metal bars for sitting on. She turned to see him standing there. He had soft eyes, and short eyebrows. He had a smile on his face. He truly looked like a nice person when he stood there. What a deceptive look.

"Okay guys," he said to the class, "I'm going to tell you where to sit."

He tapped Rima's shoulder, since she was the shortest, and told her were to sit. The line seemed to go down quickly as everyone made their way over to the seating stand. The first row had been completely filled, and Amu was now the first in line. He was about to tap Amu's shoulder when Amu's hand instinctively reached up to slap his hand away.

"I'm sorry, I don't like disgusting people touching me," she told him.

* * *

><p><strong>There'll be unexpected plot twists…<strong>

"Can I stay here for a while?" She asked, tears streaming from her eyes, her pink hair roughed up.

"Sure, I'll help cheer you up," He told her.

…

"I'll make you feel special, like you're the only one that matters. I'll make you feel like the most beautiful girl in the world."

Amu snuggled herself closer to him, taking comfort in his arms. He carried her into his bedroom, and closed his bedroom door behind him.

* * *

><p><strong>Relationships will blossom,<strong>

They were sitting across the table from each other. He bought his hands to her cheeks and pushed his lips onto hers. Their lips connected just as she was about to scream. Her scream dissolved into nothingness as Yamada kept his lips pressed against hers. Everyone else at the table looked on with astonishment. The three of them were so shocked that they were speechless. After about 10 seconds Yamada pulled away from her. Both of them, too, were speechless. Everyone at the table sat still for a moment until they heard a scream from the table next to theirs.

* * *

><p><strong>Even in unlikely places…<strong>

"What's with this atmosphere?" Yaya interrupted. He and her quickly parted, a blush forming on their cheeks as they looked at Yaya.

"Now, now, Yaya. You know it's good if our two romantic leads have good chemistry," Yua teased.

"W-what?" he stuttered.

"Yeah, since they're in love they should be able to portray that feeling on stage as well," Yamada added in.

"In love?" He and her blurted at the same time.

* * *

><p><strong>And of course, people will be hurt…<strong>

She went to slap him again, but he ducked and then stood up again. He grabbed her hand and bent it backwards. He twisted it upwards until he locked it behind her back. She could no longer move it, and she screamed out in pain.

"No…" Amu said softly, "Let her go… please."

He ignored what she said and just held her in that position.

"Please… I'll do anything… let her go, though…" Amu begged.

"No!" She screamed. She was cut off, though, as he forced her arm up further. She screamed out in pain again.

Amu got onto her knees and begged. The woman walked around from behind her desk and ripped Amu up off the floor. She then pushed Amu into the corner, causing her to fall to the floor again, "You stay there."

* * *

><p><strong>Part 2: The Wicked Workings of Easter<strong>


	13. Chapter 11: Trainee Chara

**Chapter 11: Trainee Chara**

After school that day Amu headed towards the royal garden for the royal garden, unsure if the guardians, excluding Kukai, would even come today. When she got there, though, Tadase and Yaya were already sitting there.

"Oh, hi, Amu. Kukai was sad you didn't come to see him off," Tadase told her.

Amu looked toward the ground, "Did Nadeshiko tell him the reason?"

"Yeah, she did," Yaya told her, "WAHH! It's so sad!"

"So, where's Nadeshiko?" Amu asked.

Tadase fidgeted for a moment, "Uhh… about that… she asked me to give you this letter."

Amu took the letter from Tadase's hands, and began to read it.

_Dear Amu,_

_ If you're reading this letter, I'm probably already in Canberra. I was offered a position at the Australian National Dance Academy. Dancing has always been my dream, and I couldn't refuse. I didn't want to tell you, since you were already having trouble coping with Kukai leaving. I want you to know that you'll always be my best friend. That doesn't mean I always have to be yours, though. If you find a new best friend, I'll fully support you. Amu, I don't want you to think of my leaving as a sad thing, instead I want you to remember that sometimes goodbye is a second chance. Everything happens for a reason. Next time you see me I hope I can be a different person, in more ways than one. I hope I have more confidence next time._

_From Nadeshiko._

Amu could feel tears forming in her eyes as she read the letter. Tadase and Yaya both hugged her.

"It's alright, Amu! It's okay to cry!" Yaya told her.

"Just this once…" Amu told them, "I'll only cry this once. I know that they wouldn't want me to cry… that's why, just this once. I promise I'll start a new story, take a new step in life."

The two simply held her while she cried. After a few minutes, Amu took a step back from them, and wiped her eyes, "I'm alright now."

"Well, this might be a bit sudden," Tadase told her, "But the principal has already decided on the next two members of the student council. He'll be announcing them at the start of next term."

"The principal decided?" Amu asked.

"Yeah, the principal is the one who chooses every member of the student council," Tadase told her.

"What about me? He didn't choose me," Amu told him.

Yaya and Tadase both stayed quiet for a moment, before Tadase began talking, "Actually, he did. When you moved to the school he told us to become friends with you and recruit you to the student council no matter what."

Amu raised her eyebrows, "Why?"

"None of us know, we can never tell what the principal is thinking. Usually when he's decided on the student council members, he'll just tell them to join the student council or they'll be expelled from the school. For him to make us go to such effort, none of us know his reasoning."

"Wow, he never seemed like such a harsh person," Amu told him.

"He secretly is!" Yaya said.

"Well anyway, we won't find out who they are until next term. We should plan to do something over the holidays, just the three of us," Tadase told them.

"Like what?" Amu asked.

"We should go see a movie!" Yaya said excitedly.

"Yeah, good idea, Yaya," Tadase told her.

"But it won't be fun without Kukai and Nadeshiko," Yaya said sadly.

"Don't think like that," Amu told her.

"It's probably true though," Tadase said.

"Yeah, Kukai and Nadeshiko were the fun ones…" Yaya said sadly.

"Well, we just have to have as much fun as we can without them!" Amu said.

"Yeah! That's right!" Yaya said excitedly.

* * *

><p>Friday passed quickly, being the last day of term. The students did almost no work, and chatter about the upcoming holidays was buzzing throughout the air. Amu told Tadase of her plans to quit Easter, and the way Utau had betrayed them during the dance competition. Tadase told her he agreed with her decision. That was why when on Saturday, the first day of the holidays, Amu was completely confident as she marched into Mrs. Sanjo's office.<p>

"Mrs. Sanjo, hello," Amu said.

"Ahh, hello, Amu," she replied.

"Mrs. Sanjo, you know I'm not one to beat around the bush. I quit. Frankly, I find your attitude despicable, the fact you would stoop to such low measures to win the dance competition."

"Oh? You quit? Really?" She asked, a knowing tone in her voice.

"Yes, why?"

"Well, I suppose you'll leave your little sister working in this evil company by herself then?" Mrs. Sanjo asked.

"No, she's quitting as well," Amu told her adamantly.

"Oh? She is? Then why does the contract say it's 10 years long," a sly tone took to her voice as she spoke this.

"What? It didn't say anything like that. I read the whole document!" Amu yelled.

Mrs. Sanjo spun her chair around and reached into one of the filing cabinets behind her, quickly pulling out a file labelled Ami Hinamori. She flipped the document to it's 2nd page, showing Amu the part which stated it was a 10 year contract.

"What? That page wasn't even part of the document when I signed it. That means my signature doesn't apply at all to that page of the document."

"Oh, and who do you think a court will believe, you or Easter Corporation?"

Amu ground her teeth, knowing what she said was the truth, "You are one fucking sly bitch."

"Thank you for the compliment. Now, not only will you and Ami both stay in Easter, you'll notice on this same page it states that Ami will train 7 days a week, meaning she will have to quit school."

"What?" Amu shouted, "You evil bitch!"

"Not only that, but you will also become a trainee. I'll be kinder to you, though. You can only train on weekends."

"You fucking bitch, do you enjoy destroying the lives of little girls?"

"Yes, I do, actually. You should have never gotten involved with Easter, Amu. Let me tell you something, we can do anything and get away with it. Don't even try calling the police. We will silence any police officer that comes out, one way or another."

Amu gulped as she heard this threat. She could tell that it was not an empty threat, and she would actually follow through with it.

"Well, unfortunately, I can't go back on the contract either, so you'll still get money from Ami becoming a trainee. You, however, will get no money."

Amu gulped.

"Oh and let me tell you something. Easter was the one that caused Nadeshiko to break her leg," Mrs. Sanjo told Amu.

"What? Don't be ridiculous, that was an honest mistake by our teacher, Nikaido!"

"Oh? And how well do you really know Nikaido?"

Amu stayed silent for a moment, Nikaido couldn't be a part of Easter, could he?

"Well, it's up to you if you believe me or not," Mrs. Sanjo told her, "Anyway, you can go home. You'll both start next Saturday. That gives you a full week to pull Ami out of school."

Amu gulped as she left Mrs. Sanjo's office. She realised how truly evil Mrs. Sanjo was. She knew though, that Mrs. Sanjo wasn't the one giving the orders, she simply followed them. What kind of person could give orders like this? Why did they want Ami and Amu to become trainees so bad in the first place? Was there something special about the two of them?

* * *

><p>The next day Amu tried to tell Ami what had happened, but she didn't have the heart to tell her. Ami loved coming to school; having to leave would break her heart. Amu decided to tell the principal first, and deal with pulling Ami out of school. Additionally, she would need to beg the principal as much as possible to get him to allow Ami to keep staying in the dorms. Amu walked to the school admin, noticing that no one was working, understandable since it was a Sunday. She knocked on the door to the principal's office, and heard a response, beckoning her to come in. Amu was surprised he was in on a Sunday, but not complaining.<p>

"Ahh, Amu. What brings you in on a Sunday?" he asked kindly.

Amu kneeled to the floor as he asked this, "Please, I beg of you, can Ami please quit school, but stay in the dorms?"

"Why do you want her to quit the school? Is she being bullied?" he asked.

"No… it's not that," Amu contemplated telling him, before remembering her threat to eliminate any police officers, school principals were probably in the same boat. "I'm really sorry, but I cannot tell you the reason. She can share a room with me in the dorm if that would be better."

"Relax, I'll let her stay… I do think, though, you should discuss what happened with the guardians if you don't want to discuss it with me."

"Yeah… I'll think about it," Amu told him.

"Well, let me organise the withdrawal papers," he told her, "Oh, and guess what a little birdy told me."

Amu looked at him questioningly, "I don't know, what did a bird tell you?"

"The keys have been passed on from their original owner. The game has taken it's next step."

"What? Kukai passed on the keys?" Amu asked.

"Apparently, he did. Have you heard from Kukai yet?"

"Yeah, he's called me twice so far. We just talked about general stuff, how he's going and stuff."

"You didn't tell him what happened?" the principal asked, surprised.

"No, he's not even here anymore. I can't unload all my problems onto him."

"I'm sure he doesn't think that way. Actually, he'd probably be glad if you told him your problems."

"Well… I'll take your advice, thanks."

"Yeah, sure, anytime. Anyway, here is the paperwork," he told her as he handed her quite a thick stack of paper. There were probably at least 10 pages of paperwork there.

"Thank you so much…" Amu told him as she turned around and prepared to leave his office.

"Anything for my favourite student," he said. Amu chose to ignore his words; she knew by now when he was joking and when he was not.

After Amu arrived back at her dorm, she sat down at the kitchen table to fill out the forms.

"What are you doing, sissy?" Ami asked.

"Ami… how would you feel if you had to stop going to school?" Amu asked her.

Amu saw a frown begin to form on Ami's face, but nevertheless, Ami kept a strong face, "Do we have to change schools again?"

"We can still live here, but you need to leave school… you need to go to a school for people who want to become singers. People that go there will be older than you, though, since not many 6 year olds want to become singers."

"Oh…" Ami said sadly, "That's alright sissy, as long as we're together!"

Amu smiled at her little sister. Although she was only 6 years old, she had such a strong soul. It was really amazing. "You'll need to go to school on the weekend as well… but on the weekend I'll be going to school with you."

"Sissy will go to school with me as well?" Ami asked excitedly.

"Only on the weekend," she told her sister. Amu could see the excitement on Ami's face.

Amu completed the forms later that night. Soon after she completed the forms, she heard her mobile ring. She eagerly answered it, "Hello?"

"You sounded eager to hear my voice," Kukai teased her.

"I was. I've missed you so much… so much has happened…" Amu told him.

Kukai detected the sad tone in her voice, "What happened?" He asked, worried.

"Well, it's a long story…" Amu told him.

"I have all night."

Amu began to tell Kukai what had happened, and he tried to comfort her through the phone.

"I regret leaving you now, Amu," he told her.

"Don't think like that," Amu told him, "This is your dream. Besides, I'm not so useless I can't deal with this myself."

"I'm just worried for you. I can't believe Mrs. Sanjo was so manipulative this whole time… Luckily Nadeshiko and I left Easter, and since your partnership with Tadase is ending, he'll leave too."

"I know… it is hard to believe," Amu told him, "Anyway… how's Nadeshiko going?"

"She's fine from what I've seen. We have a pretty busy schedule, though, so we don't get to see each other much," he told her.

Amu started laughing, "Sounds like you're working hard."

"Yeah, tell me about it. Thanks for telling me, Amu…" he told her.

"What do you know, that principal was right about something," Amu said jokingly.

"Oh? About what?"

"He said you'd appreciate me telling you. I feel better after telling someone, too."

"I do appreciate it, Amu. When I moved I was worried you would feel you couldn't tell me anything because I was so far away. I want you to know that no matter the distance, you can tell me everything you want. I'll always love you, remember."

"I love you too, Kukai. Anyway, I better let you go to sleep. It's pretty late over there," Amu told him.

He began laughing, "Dang, you remembered. I'd hoped you'd forget about the time difference and keep talking to me."

She, too, started laughing, "I know you love hearing my voice, but that's a bit obsessive don't you think?"

"Well, so is carrying a picture of you around in my wallet. I do that anyway, though," he told her. Amu began blushing when she heard him say that.

"I do too…" Amu said timidly, "Anyway, I don't want to be the cause of you collapsing in the middle of some super intense work out, so I'll let you go now.

"Well, goodnight," he told her before making a kiss noise with his lips into the phone.

"Goodnight, Kukai," Amu told him before doing the same thing.

The next day Amu handed Ami's withdrawal form to the principle. She also made sure to tell him that she had told Kukai about what happened. The principal told her that she should use Kukai as a leaning pillar; when she was sad, he would support her. Amu took his words to heart.

* * *

><p>Before long the first week of the holidays had passed. Saturday came around, marking the beginning of Ami and Amu's status as a trainee at Easter. She hadn't yet told Tadase or Yaya about what had happened.<p>

When Ami and Amu arrived at the Easter building, Amu one of the people at the front desk they were new trainees, and they were led into a room. It was much like the dance studio Amu practiced in when she was working on the advertisement team.

"Oh, you must be Amu and Ami, right?" A man asked them. Both of them slowly nodded their heads. "I'm Mr. Halse. I'm one of the singing coaches you guys will have. I'll need to do a preliminary test on both of you, to see where you're currently at, and what you need to learn. Amu, you can go first. Just sing any song."

"Just sing a song?" Amu asked him.

"Yeah, don't your ears work well enough to listen the first time?" He asked rudely.

"I'm sorry, but the demand seemed quite odd."

"Let me tell you something, I'm not a patient person. Hurry up and start singing."

Amu wasn't sure what song to sing, and so just thought back to the karaoke night they had done before Kukai left. Amu thought of one of the random songs she had sung during the night, and began to sing.

_There's something 'bout the way, the street looks when it's just rained; there's a glow off the pavement, you walk me to the car and you know I wanna ask you to dance right there, in the middle of the parking lot._

As Amu began singing, the room fell silent. She could see Mr. Halse's expressionless face slowly turn into a smile

"Okay, that's enough. I can tell you have some real god damn talent. Just a tiny bit of fine tuning, and you'll be good to debut from a singing point of view. Ami, your turn now."

Amu couldn't help but notice how he didn't even change his tone when talking to a 6 year old girl, "Ami, you can do it. Just start singing any song you want."

_We're driving down the road, I wonder if you know I'm trying so hard not to get caught up now, but you're just so cool run your hands through your hair, absentmindedly making me want you._

"How cute, sisters singing the same song. I can tell you have some good talent to, especially for a little girl. Since you're just a little girl though, the power and tone could use some adjusting. You have plenty of time to learn, I guess. You won't debut until you're at least a teenager. Well anyway, let me give each of you a recommendation piece of paper. I want you to take it to room 18, just down the hall. She'll sort out your singing classes. You'll also need to be put into dance classes, acting classes and modelling classes. We try to train our idols to be stars in all areas of show biz, not just one."

"Thank you, Mr. Halse," Amu told him before taking the two pieces of paper from his hands. Although he seemed quite strict, he didn't seem manipulative, not like Mrs. Sanjo. Ami and Amu began to walk down the hallway, into room 18. When they entered the room they saw a middle aged Asian woman sitting at a desk.

"Hello, I'm Mrs. Lam, who are you?" She asked politely.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Lam. I'm Amu Hinamori, and this is Ami Hinamori. We were told by Mr. Halse to give you the recommendation papers for our singing classes."

"Oh, new trainees?" She asked.

"Yes," Amu answered simply. This lady seemed quite polite. It made Amu wonder if the workers at Easter even knew about the things that went on like unfair contracts and death threats against the police.

"Oh, he must have taken a liking to you, Amu," she said.

"Excuse me?" Amu asked.

"It's been quite a long time since he's recommended a new trainee straight into the top singing trainee class."

"I'm in the top singing trainee class?" Amu asked.

"Yes, and Ami is in the eighth class. That's also pretty good for a tiny little girl," she told the two of them, "Anyway; I'll lead you to the dance studio, so you guys can undergo your initial dance assessment."

As Mrs. Lam led them out of her office and towards the studio, she called someone on her mobile, ensuring they were in the studio. When she heard confirmation they were there, she hung up the phone, and led the two of them into dance studio C. _'How many dance studios do they have?' _Amu questioned in her head.

"Well, here we are. Just tell the lady inside that you need to have an initial assessment," Mrs. Lam told them before hurrying away. She was obviously a very busy person. Amu opened the door to see a woman who was already teaching a class. She stopped from her teaching to face the door when she heard it open.

"Oh, Mrs. Lam told me you were coming. Amu and Ami Hinamori, I assume?" She asked. Amu and Ami simply nodded in acknowledgement. "Good, I'm Mrs. Tucker, and I'm one of the dance instructors at Easter. I'm going to be doing your initial assessment. All you have to is dance to a song of your choosing. We have pretty much every song you know, so don't feel shy in asking for a specific song. Amu, you can dance first. What song would you like?"

Amu thought about it for a moment. By now, though, she was used to the forcefulness exerted by the instructor. She exuded the same aura as Mr. Halse had, and seemed to talk in much the same way. "Could I possibly dance to 'Bad Girl Good Girl' by Miss A?" Amu asked.

"Of course, a song from one of our very own bands. We definitely have that song," Mrs. Tucker told Amu as she began to walk over to the audio control box. Amu could see that the eyes of everyone in the class were now on her, as she prepared to dance. The song started, and Amu began dancing just as she had during the talent show. Her clothes were not as appropriate for this dance as they had been at the talent show, but she danced in the same way. Mrs. Tucker stopped the song after she saw Amu dance the chorus.

"I've seen enough, you obviously have talent. I'll put you in the second top class," she told Amu. She began to tell Ami what she had to do now. Unlike Mr. Halse, when Mrs. Tucker spoke to Ami she spoke with a soft voice, explaining what she had to do.

"What song would you like to dance to, Ami?" She asked. Ami looked at her sister unsurely. Ami didn't dance much, she only really sung.

"Ami, do you want to dance to 'Oh!'? Remember 'Oh!'?" Amu asked her sister.

"Yes! I'll dance to 'Oh!'" Ami told Mrs. Tucker, who began to head to the sound box again. Amu knew that Ami would probably be in one of the lowest classes for dance. The song started, and Ami started dancing to the song. Amu could tell when looking at her dancing though, she danced like the little girl she was. After the first chorus, Mrs. Tucker once again stopped the song.

"Well, I've decided both of your dance classes," Mrs. Tucker told them as she handed Amu two pieces of paper.

Amu and Ami's acting and modelling initial tests were of a similar nature to the dancing and singing ones. After they had completed all three initial tests, they were instructed to report back to Mrs. Lam, who would be responsible for placing them in their classes. The two sisters went back to Mrs. Lam's office, who happily took their papers and sorted them into all of their classes.

"Well, you two have done pretty well for an initial test. Amu, you'll be in the top singing class, 2nd highest dance class, 12th acting class and 11th modelling class. Ami, you'll be in the 8th singing class, 22nd dancing class, 18th acting class, 19th modelling class. The way the classes work is that each level class has a standard which you must pass. When your coach thinks you've gotten good enough, and passed the standard, you go up to the next class. When you pass a 1st class, you graduate the class. When you've graduated all four classes, Easter will sponsor your debut as an idol."

"Umm, what happens if I graduate one class before another, since I'm already in the top singing class, but only in 12th acting class?" Amu asked.

"Oh, if that happens you can take an additional class in that slot. Additional classes are things like song writing, choreographing, or playing an instrument. The percentage of the pay you get when you debut will depend on two main things; your final assessment and how many extra classes you've taken. Well you guys will start your classes tomorrow. You can go home for today if you want."

"Thank you for all your help, Mrs. Lam," Amu told her.

"You're welcome. I can't wait to see your progress," She told Amu. Amu and Ami bid her goodbye before they exited her office, and left the Easter building.

"Well, that was an exciting day, wasn't it, Ami?" Amu asked her little sister as they began to walk home.

"The teachers were all strict!" Ami said.

"Yes, it's a very hard school, just try your best, and they won't scold you. You will go to this school for a long time; it's alright if you don't pass straight away."

"Okay, sissy!"

When Amu and Ami arrived back at their dorm, Yaya questioned them on where they'd been.

"Oh, we just went out for the day," Amu lied before Ami could say anything. She quickly grabbed Ami's hand and led her into her room. "Listen, Ami. It's important you don't say anything about your new school to Yaya or Tadase."  
>"Why?" Ami asked.<p>

"Please, just don't," Amu told her sister.

"Okay then," Ami said happily, "And sissy, I don't hate my new school. I think it'll be fun!"

"Thanks, Ami," Amu told her little sister. Somehow, even though she was only a little girl, she could always tell Amu's worries.

* * *

><p>The next day Ami and Amu both went back to Easter's trainee facility. They were starting their classes today. Amu and Ami both walked up to the singing studios. Amu saw that there were three singing studios.<p>

"The three top classes have theirs in a studio, while the others simply do their classes in a room. Amu, do you wanna take Ami to room 48. It's the first left down the hall, then you turn at your second right, and you will be able to see the room. Make sure to come back after you take her there, though, since your class is right here."

Amu followed his advice, and made her way towards room 48. When they got there, Amu showed Ami into the room, and explained to the instructor that she was a new trainee. Amu left the classroom after that, not being able to stay to see how Ami goes, as she had to get to her own class. She walked back to the singing studios, where Mr. Halse was waiting.

"Well, I'll be your teacher," Mr. Halse told Amu, "Come into studio 1."

Amu followed him into the studio, where a class was already standing around. Amu looked around to see there were only 3 others with her, much less than was in Ami's class. Amu didn't get a good look, but Ami's class must have had at least 15.

"Yes, the amount of people in each class diminishes as the class number approaches 1," Mr. Halse told her, "Well, class, this is Amu Hinamori. She has come straight into this class from the initial testing."

There was a rising of eyebrows after he said this. Amu guessed that Mrs. Lam had been telling the truth when she said it wasn't often he put people straight into the top class.

"Well… today we're going to work on your vocal range…" Mr. Halse told the class.

* * *

><p>Amu's singing, dancing and modelling classes all went well. The training had been fairly intense though, and by the time her acting class came around, Amu was exhausted. When she entered the class she had acting in, she searched the class to see there was around 25 people in the class. However, one person, who was standing on the far side of the class, caught her attention.<p>

"Ikuto…" Amu mumbled to herself. She remembered that he had been dancing for Easter during the dance competition; it made sense that he was a trainee of Easter, yet Amu couldn't help but be surprised when she saw him.

Amu's thoughts were interrupted when the teacher began the lesson. The teacher told the class they were going to work on vocal expression today. She handed each person a script, all exactly the same. The only difference was the emotion that was labelled at the top of the script. The script was a multitude of phrases. Everyone in the class sat in a circle, and read the first phrase, 'That's my Brother' with the emotion labelled at the top of the script. Amu's emotion had been sadness, and she was the first to read it, as she added a sad tone to her voice. She noticed the next person had anger, and screamed the phrase. Going all around the circle, it didn't seem as if everyone was saying the same phrase, the emotion they said it with totally changed the meaning. When it got to Ikuto's turn, he obviously had the emotion humour, as he began laughing before saying it in a light tone and shaking his head.

Amu had been trying to find an opportunity to talk to Ikuto all throughout the acting lesson. The teacher was not slack, though. The trainees were non-stop practicing altering the emotions in their voice to change the meaning of a phrase. Finally, the groups rotated again, and Amu was paired with Ikuto. They were doing the final activity of the day. Each person in the pair had a script from a television show dialogue. The actors had to change their emotion to one other than the original emotion, and convey a new meaning with the script. Amu and Ikuto had gotten a script that was originally a heated argument in which the actors were shouting. Amu was the first to speak.

"Why did you have to go and do that?" Amu asked, her tone soft, her voice timid.

"What? And it's my fault?" Ikuto asked her, his voice ridden with guilt.

"Yes… it is your fault," Amu now told him, pain in her voice.

"I see…" Ikuto began his voice low and soft, "Well that's just brilliant…"

"It's over…" Amu said with hurt in her voice.

"Well," Ikuto said softly before pausing, "Goodbye…"

"Goodbye…" Amu said slowly.

The two heard clapping from behind them, and Amu turned to see it was the teacher, "You two did excellent. That's the end of today's lesson. You two can go home now," she told them. Amu and Ikuto both thanked her before exiting the room.

"Well, you joined my side, eh, Amu?" Ikuto asked, smirking.

"Joined your side?" Amu asked.

"You joined Easter. I don't know why, Amu, but if I were you, I'd get out while you can…" Ikuto said slowly.

"It's already too late…" Amu told him.

"Ahh… I guess you're trapped at Easter, too?" He asked.

"Yeah, you too?" Amu asked him.

"Yep," he told her simply, "Well I guess we'll be seeing each other pretty regularly then. See you for now, Amu."

"Yeah, see you," Amu told him before pulling Ami's schedule out of her pocket. She had copied Ami's schedule so that she knew where to pick her up from.

On the way home Ami told Amu all about her day. It sounded like the teachers hadn't gone easy on Ami at all, despite her young age. Amu had expected that, it was training to be an idol. Of course they wouldn't go easy on people.

* * *

><p>The second week of the holiday went by fairly quickly. Amu took Ami to Easter for training every day. Amu's 2nd weekend at Easter, too, passed by fairly quickly. Before long, time for school to start again came around. On the first day of school, Amu had to awake early. She had to drop Ami off at Easter and still get back in time to get to class. When she got to class, Tadase pulled her aside.<p>

"Hey, we are having an assembly during form period. Your lines are all on this sheet, which will be on the stand anyway, but it'd be good to practice them a few times," he told her.  
>"I have to speak?" Amu asked.<p>

"Well of course, you are part of the student council. By the way, you'll need to put your cape on, it's in the royal garden, let's get it quickly," Tadase told her as he began running to the royal garden. Amu quickly ran after him. When they got to the royal garden, Amu got her cape, and reluctantly put it on.

"Why do I have to wear this ugly thing?" Amu questioned.

"It's what defines us as a member of the student council. You haven't needed to wear it yet, there's always a first time for everything," he told her.

"So, I guess it'll be announced who the new members of the student council are?" Amu asked.

"Yeah, among other general first day of term things," he told her as he handed her a piece of paper, "Anyway, you need to practice your lines."

Amu began to practice her lines as she walked towards the auditorium, where assemblies were held. Tadase walked beside her. When they got to the auditorium, Yaya ran up to them.

"The assembly is starting in five minutes," Yaya told them.

"Okay, thanks Yaya," Amu told her as she was reading her lines. Amu settled for reading her lines once, which was enough, considering the time constraints. The guardians took their place on the seats at the front of the assembly. After a few minutes, all of the upper school had come to the auditorium, and had sat on their seats. Tadase walked up to the microphone, and began to speak.

"Welcome back to school for Term 2, everybody," he began, "Term 2 is quite a stressful time for many year 11s and 12s due to exams. We wish to inform everybody that exams will be conducted in week 3. Attendance at school is not mandatory during the examination week, excluding the times at which you have exams. We will be issuing an exam timetable to each individual student within the next week. Unfortunately, as you may notice, we only have three members of the student council sitting up the front today. Both Kukai, our jack's chair, and Nadeshiko, our queen's chair, left at the end of last term. Do not fret, though. The principle, Tsukasa, has already elected two students for the roles. I wish to invite Yaya up to the microphone now."

Tadase soon came back to his seat, as Yaya stood up and went towards the microphone, "Hi everyone! I want to report on the dance club's performance in the state wide dance competition at the end of last term. We did very well, achieving 2nd place in the whole state! Also, I wish to remind you guys that if you want to change clubs, the start of term is the time to do it! Amu will now speak to you guys." Yaya walked back to her seat, and Amu slowly stood up and walked to the microphone.

Amu felt her nerves kick in as she looked down at the page which showed what she was supposed to read, "Hi guys! This is my first time speaking at assembly, so I'm actually pretty nervous…" She began, causing laughter to erupt from some of the students, "Anyway, I want to talk to you guys about the school musical. This year, the school musical will be an adapted version of 'Wicked'. Auditions will take place in week 4. The musical will be performed during the holidays. I encourage everyone to have a go and audition for a part! I now wish to invite Tadase back to the microphone." Amu walked back to her seat, her heart still beating. Tadase got up to the microphone, and began to talk to the audience easily. He didn't seem nervous at all.

"Well, I'll now invite our principle, Tsukasa, to the microphone," Tadase told the audience after he talked for a while about other activities. Tsukasa stood up and walked up to the microphone.

"Well, as you guys have already heard this assembly, we lost two of our student council members, Nadeshiko and Kukai. They will be missed greatly; however, we cannot wallow in sorrow for long. We must get back on our feet. That is why I have already elected the two new members of the student council," Tsukasa told the audience. The audience was on edge as he was about to announce the new members, "Our new jack's chair is Kairi Sanjo, while our new queen's chair is Rima Mashiro. Give them a round of applause as they come up to receive their guardian's cape!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hello everyone! There you have the start of the 2****nd**** part. I know it starts off fairly slow, but don't worry. Things kick up next chapter.**

**For those of you that didn't realise the name of this part is actually a pun. 'The Wicked Workings of Easter' refers to Easter's evil side of course. It is also a reference to the school musical they're performing, Wicked.**

**I'm sure the ending of the chapter was so obvious already, which is why I put it in the preview and didn't sensor the names. It was pretty obvious... xD **

**Ikuto is back to a major character now! He'll become one of the most important characters in the story now that Amu is a trainee. **

**Also, Rima and Kairi are entering the story as major characters! They've both in the story, but only as minor characters so far. **

**Well, until next time!**


	14. Chapter 12: Cheating Chara Part 1

**A/N: By the way guys I have a new oneshot up on fictionpress called 'The Monster in the Mirror.' It's only about 5000 words, and it would mean the world to me if you guys would go and read it since it means a lot to me. The link to my fictionpress account is on my profile. Thanks :) **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>**:**** Cheating Chara Part 1**

After the assembly finished, and the guardians helped to pack up, Amu headed towards her next class, maths. When she arrived at class, she noted the desks had been rearranged. Instead of being in rows as they were before, they were now in groups. She made her way over to a group where Yaya was currently sitting alone.

"Just us two, I guess," Amu told her.

"Yeah… it won't be the same without Nadeshiko or Kukai," Yaya told her sadly.

Other students turned to look as Amu entered the class. She had been late since, as a member of the student council, she had stayed to help pack up the assembly. The class was mostly full, yet it felt empty without Kukai or Nadeshiko. Amu heard a file put down from across the table, which dragged Amu's eyes back to her group. She had seen Rima sit across from Yaya and Amu.

"Every other table is full," Rima told them.

"Rima! Would you like to sit here?" A boy asked.

"Oh my god, just shut up," Amu told the boy. The constant rambling and sucking up to Rima annoyed her. Couldn't these guys think for themselves?

The boy quickly backed off. Mrs. Lim began to hand out a program for the term to the class. After she finished talking and told the class what their work was, Yaya began to talk.

"Oh, and Rima, we're having a student council meeting at recess, to introduce the new members and everything."

"Okay," Rima replied simply. Her reply stopped the conversation dead in its tracks.

'_She's exactly like how I used to be… I see my past self in her so much,' _Amu thought to herself.

The period passed by fairly quickly. Towards the end of the period Amu approached Mrs Lim about transferring to a harder course.

"What course would you recommend I do, Mrs Lim?"

"I think you should go straight to 3A. I think it's still early enough in the year that you could learn everything. You obviously have the ability to do 3A."

"I'll do it," Amu told her.

Mrs Lim was obviously surprised by her obedience, "Well, I'll talk to Mr. Plahn for you. You just have to go to 11b next maths period."

"Thanks so much, Mrs. Lim."

Yaya and Amu made small chat as they completed their work, but didn't discuss anything too major. The bell rang and the three of them began to head towards the royal garden.

"It'll be your first time in the royal garden, right Rima?" Yaya asked.

"It's pretty amazing," Amu told her.

The small girl simply shrugged her shoulders, not at all interested. Yaya opened the large doors as the three of them walked in, to see Kairi and Tadase already sitting at the table.

"Welcome, Rima!" Tadase said happily. Kairi had a stern look on his face. He seemed like the type of guy that would never lighten up. "We just needed this meeting to welcome you two to the guardians, as well as discuss our activities and so on."

"I am already well informed on the guardians' activities," Kairi told him, "And frankly, it's pathetic." A look of shock passed through Tadase's, Yaya's and Amu's face as he told them this. "There is far too much wasted energy. Quite recently, in fact, a fifth member, the joker, was added to help keep up with the work. In fact, if a more effective work schedule was sorted out, the tasks could be done with only 3 people. Just as a piece of information, the addition of the joker has actually had a negative effect."

Amu's eyes widened as he said that, "Pardon me?"

"You can't even understand plain English? You're useless. Your joining of the guardians has hindered the progress. In fact, the student body all hates you. They simply pretend to think your act is 'cool' since you're a guardian, when in reality, they hate your guts. Not only has the work been less efficient, but you have lost support of the student body," he told them.

"For an organisation such as the student council, which is made to support a vast majority, student support is necessary," Rima continued for Kairi, "I think that Amu should be kicked out from the guardians. Her presence is simply a nuisance."

Amu was dumbfounded after hearing what they had to say. She would like to say she could ignore it, but she couldn't. What they said, was it true? She knew that people hated her, but she didn't even think about how that hate from the student body would negatively impact the student council when she joined. Amu was snapped out of her thoughts when Tadase slammed his fist on the table.  
>"Both of you get out of this royal garden right now. We are all friends here, and none of us appreciate being told what to do, especially when it's kicking out a friend. I don't want to see you until our after school meeting on Wednesday," Tadase said angrily. The two simply acted shocked at his outburst, but remained unmoving. "Get out!"'<p>

Rima and Kairi both gathered their bags before they left the royal garden, not saying another word as they left.

"I'm sorry, Amu," Tadase told her.

"They were so rude!" Yaya pouted as she said this, "I miss Nadeshiko and Kukai…"

"No-one misses them more than me," Amu told her, "But we need to get along with the new members. It's what they'd want. Besides, they were probably telling the truth. I know that most of the kids at this school hate me. I didn't think about the consequences of that when I joined the student council, though. I've been selfish."

"No! Don't say that, Amu," Tadase told her, "Besides, the principal will never let you quit even if you wanted to."

"You're right, and I'm not going to quit. I've joined, and I'm going to see this through. All I'm saying is, we should try look at it from their point of view," Amu said.

"What do you mean?" Yaya questioned.

"I mean we tell them that insulting isn't the way we do things around here, but ask them what they think we could improve, rather than blatantly insulting any members of the student council."

"You're right," Tadase told her, "But I'm still angry."

Third period Amu had physical education. After she got changed she made her way out to the oval. She looked around for Kukai, before realising that he was no longer here. She felt someone touch her shoulders, so she quickly spun around to see it was Yamada.

"Hoping for someone else?" he asked.

Amu smiled painfully before replying, "Yeah."

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you," he told her in a sarcastic tone. Amu couldn't help but laugh.

The coach began his speech to the class, telling them about the physical education exam in week 3. The exam this year would be a physical test. Although he couldn't tell them exactly what was in the exam, he told them that they would need stamina, and he let them practice on their own.

For fourth period Amu had food technology. They were doing theory, so Amu made sure to sit down right next to Rima.  
>"I'm not mad, you know," Amu said, while keeping her eyes to the front.<p>

"You were the first one that said no socialising. I didn't say what I said because I wanted to hurt your feelings. I said it because it's true."

Amu knew this technique; implying that she wasn't even worth insulting, "I was just like you, you know? I know what you've been through."

"Don't even pretend to know what I've been through!" Rima raised her voice.

Amu knew when to back down.

* * *

><p>Wednesday's guardian meeting came by before long. Amu, Yaya and Tadase sat in the royal garden, waiting for Rima and Kairi. The two walked in together before long.<p>

"I will start," Tadase began as Kairi and Rima sat down, "I apologise for my outburst on Monday. I will tell you, though, if you ever blatantly insult any of us again, I will not hesitate to yell two times louder than I did on Monday. We are, however, willing to listen to constructive criticism."

"My apologies, too," Kairi said to Amu, "I shouldn't have been so blunt. Right now my main job is with organising interschool sports activities. I must communicate with other schools to find out what sports they are planning on entering, and get the amount of teams in our district for all of the sports our school plans on entering. Of course the interschool carnival isn't until week 6, so there is no urgency."

Tadase began next, "There are no urgent tasks until week 4. We're students too, you know. We need time to study as well. After all, exams are coming up in week 3. I've put together a proposal which I plan to submit to the principle which plans to stop having student council meetings until the exams are over."

"That sounds like a good idea, king," Kairi said. Amu, Yaya and Rima nodded in agreement.

* * *

><p>Amu's first maths 3A class came around, and Amu knew she needed to work extremely hard. When Amu entered the class, Mr. Plahn decided Amu would do a speech at the front of the class introducing herself. Amu found it pointless, considering she knew almost all of the students from other classes.<p>

Nevertheless, Amu stood up at the front of the class and introduced herself, "As most of you probably already know, I'm Amu Hinamori. Moving into a new class 2 weeks before the exam will definitely be hard work, but I'm confident I can do it. I'll only be able to do it with help from you guys, though. I look forward to working with you guys."

"Thank you, Amu," Mr. Plahn said, "In this class; students are seated by their previous test score. The student who scored the highest in the previous test is in the front left of the room. It goes left to right, then front to back. That may sound elitist, but I believe anyone here can sit in the front left if they tried. You're all smart." Amu looked around the room. She noticed sitting in the front left corner was Kairi, and next to him was Ikuto. They were obviously very smart. "You'll definitely need some help catching up. I'm sure you can squeeze a desk in the corner next to Kairi; he'll be able to help you study."

Amu went to the back of the room to grab a desk; she lifted it over everyone, who ducked for their life as she carried it to the front of the room. She squeezed it in the front left corner, next to Kairi. The two worked through some of the work that the class had covered at the beginning of the year, as Amu asked a multitude of questions. Amu and Kairi were actually getting along very well. Ikuto worked silently next to them, not even saying a word to Amu the whole lesson. The bell rang before long. Everyone rose out of their seats and left the classroom. As Amu got up to leave, Kairi called her.

"You're obviously gonna need a lot of help studying for maths over the next 3 weeks. I was wondering if you'd want me to help you study together."

"You would do that?" Amu asked.

"Yeah, sure. I want to make it up to you for being rude when we met."

"Well thanks. How about we study together on Mondays and Wednesdays, since the student council doesn't have meetings for the time being?" Amu asked him.

"That'd be great," he told her, as he rose from his seat. The two of them went to recess together.

* * *

><p>"You haven't called at all this whole week!" Amu playfully yelled at Kukai.<p>

"I'm so sorry," Kukai said, putting on his most pitiful voice.

"How can I resist that voice?" Amu asked. Amu could tell he would have his trademark goofy smile on his face right now.

"Well how've things been going on your end?" Kukai asked.

"Well I moved into 3A maths," Amu told him, "In fact you're replacement has offered to tutor me every Monday and Wednesday, since exams are in two weeks time.

"What? You already found a new boyfriend?" Kukai asked incredulously, pain was obvious in his voice.

"No! That's not what I meant!" Amu yelled adamantly, "I meant replacement for the student council."

"Oh…" Kukai said quietly, "Oh god, I sounded so desperate just then didn't I?"

"Yeah, you kinda did," Amu said as she laughed, "But it's cute. I love that about you."

"Oh god… I miss you so much," Kukai told her.

"I miss you too…" Amu said quietly.

"Not as much as I miss you. I haven't told you this yet, but I haven't really made any friends at the sports institute. Compared to them I'm shit, I'm not even in their league... They don't even talk to me," Kukai told her.

Amu remained quiet for a moment before exploding, "WHAT? AND WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME BEFORE NOW?"

"I'm sorry…" Kukai said, "I didn't want to burden you. I mean after all, I made the decision to move here. And I am learning some good stuff; it's just that the friend stuff is hard."

"I don't know how good they are, but I know you're better than them."

"No, they're really good," Kukai told her.

"No matter how good they are at sports, if they discriminate against people because they aren't as good as themselves, then in the end they're only elitist bastards. That automatically makes you better than them, since you're a better person. Remember that next time. I want you to kick their asses," Amu told him.

"You always know how to make me feel better," Kukai said happily, "Anyway, who was the replacement for Nadeshiko?"

"Oh…" Amu remembered that there was something between Kukai and Rima; they always spoke with venom when they talked to each other, "It's Rima."

Kukai remained silent for a bit, before Amu began again, "Do you mind me asking what happened between you guys?"

"I don't think it's my place to tell you, sorry…" He told her.

"Oh?" Amu questioned.

"Well the fight started between Nadeshiko and Rima. I just supported Nadeshiko. That's all I can really say, I'm sorry. If you want to know the full details you'll have to ask Nadeshiko. I'm not sure if she'd tell you, though. I'm sure one day she'll tell you."

"Oh, that's fine. How's Nadeshiko been by the way?"

"She's been doing really well," Kukai began, "She's right in her element."

"That's really good. Anyway, I should probably let you go, shouldn't I?" Amu said reluctantly.

"Aww… I'm not even tired, though," Kukai responded, "Oh, oh, oh. What musical is the school doing this year?"

"We're doing Wicked," Amu told him.

"Are you going to audition?" He asked.

"I don't know…" Amu begun, but she was cut off by Kukai.

"You have to!" Kukai told her, "You're so talented at singing and dancing. You should go for the lead role!"  
>"Elphaba? No way!"<p>

"Why not?" He asked.

"Well…" Amu racked her brain to find an excuse, "Because Utau will probably audition for Elphaba… I'm good but I can't compare to an actual pop idol."

"Pfft… Listen closely to Utau Hoshina's songs. None of them require great singing ability," He told her, "You can beat Utau Hoshina!"

"You really think so?" Amu asked.

"I know so!" Kukai said childishly.

"But you know… Elphaba falls in love with Fiyero," Amu said cheekily.

"Psh, just imagine it's me. We're basically one and the same, I don't have a brain either," Kukai exclaimed.

Amu began laughing, "You seem to know an awful lot about Wicked."

"I told you, I don't believe in such rigid gender boundaries. I love musicals. I don't care what anyone says, I don't care if I'm a guy," he told her.

"I remember why I love you so much now."

"You mean you forgot in the first place?" Kukai teased.

"I wish I could hug you."

"Me too…"

"Anyway… I probably **really **need to let you go now," Amu told him.

"Aww… well okay then. I promise I'll call more often," he told her sweetly.

"Bye, Amu."

"Bye."

* * *

><p>Two weeks flew by extremely quickly. The students were focused solely on studying for exams. Before Amu knew it exam week was here. The students had already received their exam timetable. On Monday Amu had her English exam, on Tuesday was her Visual arts exam, on Thursday was her Maths exam and on Friday was her physical education exam.<p>

Her English exam was relatively easy. They had to write two essays. One was analysing a picture they were given, and one was analysing one short story from the choice of three they were given.

Her Visual art exam was also relatively easy. It was straight forward picture analysis. Maths was another story, though. Although Amu had studied long and hard for the exam, she still skipped multiple questions and had difficulty with many more.

The time for her final exam, the physical education practical exam, came around. Amu stood alone in her locker room getting changed into her sports uniform. She was really nervous; what if the examination required a lot of upper body strength? Upper body strength was something Amu did not have. Amu slapped her cheeks before stepping out of the locker room into the corridor. She made her way to the door, where students were currently lining up. Mr. Anderson began talking.

"There will be a course you must follow. Each station has instructions on what you must do at that station. There will be multiple referees at each station, who will be marking you on your technique, as well as making sure you don't cheat. Additionally, you will all wear a time band which will automatically stop when you cross the finish line. Also, the band can recognise body movements, so if you don't do the right amount of push-ups, sit-ups, etc then the band will start beeping. Don't try to cheat. Your final mark will be allocated by the combined score from all stations, and your completion time. You have a maximum time of 3 hours, at which time a siren will sound and everyone must stop where they are. If you do not stop immediately, you will be disqualified, and you will receive a big fat 0. Remember I just said that the time limit is 3 hours. That means it is a very long course, so don't be rushing so much at the very start."

He handed out the time bands, which everyone put around their ankle or wrist. Amu chose to put hers around her wrist.

"Get Ready," Mr Anderson told them as he opened the doors, "Go!"

Everyone began rushing out the doors to the first station, which was only about 20m away. Amu saw there were at least 10 referees there. They obviously had most of the referees at the first station, since that's the only station people would be at.

The sign at the first station read: _Do 30 Push-ups _

What a way to start Amu thought to herself. Upper body strength, exactly what Amu hated the most. By the time Amu was up to 15 people were already getting up and leaving to the next station. Amu tried to not let it bother her, and focused on the technique. She knew that there was obviously going to be a multitude of stations, the technique at all of these stations contributed to the final score, while the time only contributed to the final score once. The technique was obviously much more important in the long run. Amu finished her push-ups and moved to the next station. She carefully performed the techniques at each station. She was last out of the whole pack, but she didn't let it get to her. She saw some of the others, and their technique was not fully correct.

Amu hadn't been counting stations, but she looked at her timing band, and it read 0:45:35 meaning Amu only had 45 minutes left. Amu was about half way through the pack she guessed. Some of the boys that had gone fast at the start had obviously gotten tired, and fell back. Amu was exhausted. She was going on from pure will, and she could tell her technique was getting worse and worse each station. Amu ran to the next station. The sign read: _Score a goal_

There were soccer balls scattered around the place, and multiple goal nets up, with goalies in them. Amu noticed the first two nets had a student currently shooting, so Amu made her way to the third net. She slowly dribbled the ball forward, as she shot the ball in the direction of the top left corner. The goalie reacted too quickly, as he dived into the corner. The ball curved slightly, and went into the top middle of the goal, however. Amu quickly made her way to the next station. The sign was simple: _Sprint to the finish line_

Amu looked into the distance and she saw the finish line. It looked to be about 200m away. Any other time, that would be simple. After all of those previous workouts, though, Amu's legs would barely move properly. She jogged her way towards the finish line, as two boys overtook her from behind. She reminded herself it wasn't a race, but the competitive spirit took over. She knew it was a good chance as well, by racing someone she could improve her time. She sped up, and was about level with the two boys who overtook her. They were still running at a fairly slow pace. When they were about 20m away from the finish line, Amu forced herself to run faster, and she beat the two boys across the finish line.

After she crossed the finish line she fell to the floor. That was the most exhausting thing she had ever done. Yamada sat down next to her.

"That was bloody hard work, ey?" He asked. Amu was so tired she couldn't even reply. He laughed before continuing, "I was like that when I first finished, I've been sitting around for 15 minutes and I still feel like shit, though."

"Oh god… you're instilling such hope in me…" Amu said, puffing in between words.

"C'mon, I'll help you get up," he told her as he stood up and held his hands out. Amu grabbed both of his hands, as he pulled quickly, and Amu was pulled up. The momentum was a bit much, though. Amu kept coming forward, as she crashed into his chest. Any other time, he would have been strong enough to hold her up. He was so exhausted, though, that they both went crashing down to the floor. Yamada's instinct was to wrap his hands around Amu's waist. Yamada crashed to the floor, Amu on top of him. Yamada had his hands held around Amu's waist, and they happened to be grabbing her behind. Amu's hands were curled around his neck, pulling his face close to hers. Their bodies were pressed together, including their 'lower body parts'. The two stayed in their position for a second before they realised what had just happened. They both released their hands, and Amu tried to push herself off him with her hands. Her arms were so sore, so she ultimately failed, as her body slammed back down into his. The slamming action was causing Yamada's blood to rush away from his head towards… other parts. He wasn't really thinking at all, he was just so shocked by the situation. Amu felt herself being lifted into the air, as someone lifted her up onto her feet. She turned around and saw it was Kairi.

"I'm sure there is a more appropriate time for… this," he told her. Amu looked around to see the **whole **physical education class staring at her, as well as the referees from the exam. Over 30 people had just seen the two of them doing what looked like dry humping. Amu could see the next headline of the school newsletter: _Amu doesn't care about time or place, she's easy_. This would be just excellent.

"This is all a misunderstanding," She said. Everyone was just staring at them dumbfounded.

"Yeah, that's right. It's a misunderstanding!" Yamada yelled. He was obviously still a little confused by what had just happened, so his mistake in wording that came next was quite understandable, "I was helping her get it up."

Amu cringed as he said this; here comes front page of school newsletter.

* * *

><p>That night Kukai called. Amu knew that he would find out about what happened today one way or another, so explaining what happened and that it was a mistake would be the best thing to do. Amu decided she would slowly lead into it after explaining about the exam and how she went.<p>

"So how'd you're phys ed exam go?" Kukai asked with excitement in his voice. Sports were always the way to get him excited.

"I almost had sex with Yamada!" Amu blurted out.

Kukai started coughing and choking, "What?"

"Well, we didn't actually have sex or anywhere near that. You see after the phys ed exam I was so tired, so he helped me to get up off the floor, but I fell onto him and it was a really awkward position, so it looked like we were having sex with our clothes on, but we didn't actually have sex, it was just an accident; like that time in the nurses office with you," Amu said, speaking extremely fast.

"Woah… calm down," Kukai told her, "Speak slowly."

Amu proceeded to tell Kukai what happened slowly, explaining how he was just trying to help her get up, but she ended up falling on him, and that he just accidentally grabbed her ass. "I wanted to tell you so you hear it from me, how it really happened. I know that some gossip queen will tell you but it'll make me sound like some whore…"

"Don't worry, I believe you Amu. Thanks for telling me. But geez, I feel jealous…" he told her.

"What?" Amu exclaimed.

"I mean, Yamada's pretty hot. He has pretty nice abs. You can't tell me it didn't feel good at all, being pressed up against his body," Kukai said slowly and seductively.

Amu could feel her pulse quickening just from the way Kukai told the situation, "You're too modest. You're better than him. Besides, his pale body doesn't do it for me… I need a nice tanned body."

"Oh?" Kukai questioned, "Like mine?" He asked seductively.

"Yes… exactly like yours…" Amu told him.

"Oh god… we really need to stop talking about this now…" Kukai told her.

"Why?" Amu asked in the most innocent voice she could muster.

"I'm getting a bit uncomfortable… you know what I mean?" Kukai asked.

"Well, at least you'll have some nice images for tonight, hey?" She told him seductively.

"I don't do **that**," he told her.

"Oh, there's no need to lie. I don't care if you do it. In fact, I encourage it. Studies show that in teenagers it helps to alleviate stress and therefore helps your school work as well as friendships. Don't bother lying about it."

"No, I'm serious," he told her. His voice was stern; Amu could tell that he was telling the truth.

"You're not joking? You actually don't?"

"No… I don't," Kukai asked, he sounded almost ashamed of himself.

The two remained silent for a moment before Amu spoke up, "Do you mind me asking why not?"

"Nah, I don't mind. If it was anyone else, I would… but I trust you absolutely, Amu. I love you so much."

"I love you too, Kukai."

"Well… you know how my brothers abused me, right? It was shortly after my parents died, my brothers all went out and got drunk… When they came home I was looking at a photo of my mum, and I was crying. My eldest brother kicked me and told me that I had no right to cry; he told me that I was the one that caused them to die in the first place. My tears wouldn't stop, though. I kept crying, so my brother kicked me again. I smashed my head into the lounge, which made me cry louder. He kept hitting me, and I just kept crying louder. No matter what he did I wouldn't stop crying. That was when he tied me down. I kept crying so he slapped me a few times. It didn't stop me, though. He took off all of my clothes, and hit me with a metal serving spoon, all over my body. Even as I was on the edge of passing out, I was still crying. He was smoking at the time. He pulled the cigarette out of his mouth and pushed it into the area just above my private parts. It left a permanent burn mark. Every time I'm naked I see it. It's a physical reminder of what he did to me…"

Amu was crying by the time he finished telling his story. In between sobs she managed to say that she was sorry.

"Thanks…" he told her softly, "For listening to my story…"

"I love you so much, Kukai… Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me. I don't play with myself either, you know…"

Kukai started laughing as he wiped the tears away from his eyes, "Yet you were so surprised that I didn't…"

"Well you are the hottest guy alive," Amu said overdramatically.

Kukai rolled his eyes, "You're no slouch either." There was a silence in the conversation, "Do you mind me asking, since you were so for it, why don't you do it yourself?"

"If it was anyone else, I would mind. I trust you absolutely though, Kukai," Amu told him as she built up her courage to remember that night, and to relay those horrifying events to another human.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well… there's chapter 10. T_T Poor Kukai… I hated writing that part. But we've finally learnt more about his past, though, and you can see how traumatised he really is that it affects his life… :(**

**We'll finally learn about Amu's past in the next chapter, too.**

**By the way, Yamada is going to become a much more important character this arc than he was in the first arc. I just created his character as an extra character, but he ended up becoming important… If any of you don't know who he is he's the boy who likes soccer from Episode 5. **

**There are lots of things to think about this chapter. You definitely don't have to answer all of these xD**

**Will Kukai ever get over his past? Will he be able to have a sexual relationship with anyone?**

**What happened in Amu's past? **

**The scene between Yamada and Amu was in the preview, but Yamada's name was omitted. Could Yamada perhaps be in some of the other scenes? Was this accidental encounter perhaps the start of something more between Yamada and Amu?**

**What will happen between Rima and Amu? Will the two of them ever become friends?**

**Kairi tutored Amu for 3 weeks. These 3 weeks were skipped in the chapter, but it happened and Amu and Kairi became closer. Could this also be the start of something more?**

**Will Amu go for the role of Elphaba and compete against Utau? If so, who will win? If not, will she go for a different role?**

**Thanks for reading. I'll see you guys next week!**


	15. Chapter 13: Wicked Witch Chara Part 2

**Chapter 13: Wicked Witch Chara Part 2**

"Well it started when my parents divorced. Neither of my parents wanted to keep Ami or I. We got kicked out of our house. We were living on the street for a few days, and we were both malnourished, especially me. I was giving a lot of my food to Ami. After a few days of living on the streets I fainted since I was so badly malnourished. When I woke up I was lying in a bed again. Ami had run off and found a man who took us in. He fed us well and we lived with him for a while. I trusted him like my father," Amu gulped, mentally preparing herself for what came next.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Kukai told her.

"No, I want to. One night he tied me up… and he abused me." Kukai remained silent. He had no idea what to say. "That's also the reason I distanced myself from people. I didn't want to trust anyone again. Then when I met you, I realised that our hearts are out of our minds control."

"I love you so much Amu. I don't know what to say…"

"You don't need to say anything," Amu reassured him, "You've already done so much for me. Anyway, I should let you go."

"Well, okay. Sleep well, Amu."

"You too, Kukai. I… I love you…"

He didn't reply for a while, obviously shocked by what he'd just heard. After a few moments his reply came, "I love you too, Amu."

At that time, if Amu had known what a difference she could have made in this one conversation, she might have said something different. If she had even considered how different their lives could have been if this conversation had ended differently, she might have said something different. If she had known how much she could have done for Kukai, she might have said something different.

But she didn't. So she hung up the phone, and went to sleep, ignorant of what it meant for them, for their relationship.

* * *

><p>During form Period on Monday Nikaido told the class he had an announcement about the musical.<p>

"The auditions are this Friday. The signup sheets are organised by vocal range, with the exception to Elphaba and Glinda, who have their own signup sheets. Each vocal range sheet has the character or characters which sing in that vocal range. For the auditions you can choose what song you want to sing, as long as it's in the correct vocal range, except for Elphaba and Glindas' auditions. For Elphaba and Glindas' auditions you must sing one of their solo songs from the musical. Oh and feel free to write your name on multiple lists."

Amu got out of her seat and made her way to the front. There were a lot of students who got up to write their name on one of the lists, this audition could be more difficult than Amu first thought. This audition might be more difficult than she imagined.

_**Elphaba: **_

_Amu _

_Utau_

_**Glinda:**_

_Rima_

_Yaya_

_**Mezzo (Nessarose):**_

_Lucy_

_Jane_

_Lily_

_Robin_

_Jade_

_June_

_**Alto (Madame Morrible):**_

_Amy_

_Jade_

_**Tenor (Fiyero, Boq):**_

_Tadase_

_Ikuto_

_**Baritone (Doctor Dillamond, the Wizard of Oz):**_

_Yamada_

_John_

_Smith_

_Brett_

* * *

><p>During the student council meeting the guardians were talking about what songs they were going to sing.<p>

"Well, I already know exactly what song I'm going to sing," Amu told them.

"What song?" Yaya asked enthusiastically.

"Defying Gravity. It's the emotional climax of the musical, as well as Elphaba's most powerful song."

"Ooh! Way to go, Amu!" Yaya cheered, "Yaya is going to sing Popular!"

"What about you, Rima, since you're also auditioning for Glinda?" Tadase asked.

"I'm also singing Popular," Rima stated.

"I don't know why Ikuto is auditioning for Tenor…" Tadase pondered.

"What's wrong with that?" Amu asked.

"Well his normal vocal range is Bass-Baritone."

"Oh, wow. From Bass-Baritone to Tenor is quite a big jump," Amu said, astonished.

"Yeah, anyway we should get to work now," Tadase said.

* * *

><p>Friday came around before long, and the whole school all moved to the auditorium. Tsukasa talked to everyone about how important the school musical is for the school community, and he wished everyone good luck. He then called to the stage all of the people who were auditioning for Alto. Altogether, there were about 30 students.<p>

Time passed by fairly quickly, and Amu got more and more nervous. After the Alto audition, the Baritone audition came next, followed by the Mezzo audition. The Tenor audition was ongoing right now. Amu focused again when she heard the name of the next person auditioning: Ikuto.

He made his way to the microphone and announced he would be singing Sandy from the musical Grease. He sung really well, Amu couldn't even tell Tenor wasn't his normal range.

After Ikuto left the stage, Tadase got on. He was singing "If I can't Love her" from the musical Beauty and the Beast.

To shorten the song from its original form, Tadase only sung the first verse, chorus and then final part. Tadase pulled the last note perfectly, which really made the song. After hearing both Tadase and Ikuto's audition songs for Tenor, Amu concluded that Tadase's was better. That was natural, though, since Tenor was Tadase's natural range.

With the conclusion of Tadase's song, it was finally time for Glinda's audition. Tsukasa called up everyone who was auditioning for Glina. Yaya got up from next to Amu, as well as Rima from a few seats away as they made their way to the stage. There were only 6 people auditioning for Glinda. It made sense to Amu, as there aren't many soprano singers.

Yaya and Rima both sung perfectly up until the end. They both sung the last note as a high pitched vibrato. Yaya, however, could not hold the note as long as Rima could. Also, Yaya's note was forced, while Rima's seemed more natural.

After all of the people auditioning for Glinda finished, Tsukasa called to the stage everyone who was auditioning for Elphaba, the main event of the audition. There were a few more than 10 people who got up onto the stage. Tsukasa announced that Utau was auditioning first. She announced that she would be singing 'Defying Gravity'.

As each of them finished, the applause was massive. Both Amu and Utau had gone for different singing styles. Utau's style had been sharp, while Amu had sung it angelically. They both performed almost flawlessly. Amu knew that in the end it would come down to which style the judges preferred.

* * *

><p>The 7 judges sat in a classroom; among them were Nikaido, Tsukasa and Mr. Jeffrey. The time had come for them to decide who got each role.<p>

Tsukasa began, "Well, this is how we're going to do it. We're going to each nominate the people who were thought were the best from each vocal range, and then out of the ones we nominate as the best we will vote on who gets each character from that vocal range. Well, shall we start with the baritone characters, doctor Dillamond and the wizard. I'll say that I believe the best baritone singers were Yamada, Jack, John and William."

"I'd also like to nominate David," Nikaido added in.

Everyone stayed silent for a moment, agreeing with the decision before an old lady began talking, "You Ebihara."

"Huh?" Mr Jeffrey questioned.

"Although his singing wasn't as good as the others, his stage presence was much better, as well as his expressions," the old lady explained.

"Well then, we have 6 candidates," Tsukasa said, "There are two characters in the baritone range; doctor Dillamond and the wizard. Let's start with the wizard. Let's go around the table, each of us will vote for one person."

"William."

"You Ebihara."

"John."

"Jack."

"You Ebihara."

"Yamada."

"You Ebihara."

"Well then, You Ebihara will play the wizard," Tsukasa announced, "What about for Doctor Dillamond?"

The conversation continued in this way, as the judges kept voting for each character. When the time came for the judges to vote on Elphaba, Tsukasa decided that they should discuss it first.

"Well, I nominate Amu and Utau," Tsukasa said.

"Amu was definitely the best singer," Mr. Jeffrey added in.

"Perhaps," Nikaido said, "Except Utau's voice was sharper. It's much more suited to the Wicked Witch of the West."

The judges, apart from Tsukasa, Mr. Jeffrey and the old lady nodded in agreement. "No," Tsukasa was adamant, "Perhaps for the Wicked Witch of the West a sharp voice would be needed, but this is for Elphaba. Elphaba is the main character of wicked, and the whole time the story builds up so that viewers empathise with her. That means that an angelic voice like Amu's would be better."

"I still think that Utau's voice is better," Nikaido said, adamant in his decision.

"Well, let's vote then," Mr. Jeffrey proposed.

"Amu," Tsukasa said.

"I agree, Amu," Mr. Jeffrey added in.

"Utau," Nikaido said.

"Utau."

"Utau."

"Amu."

All eyes turned to the old lady, as she was the only other one who had not voted yet. "Well, the decision is yours, Geraldine."

* * *

><p>The judges all came out of the classroom, and made their way back to the auditorium. As they walked in the students all immediately shut up, as Tsukasa made his way to the stage.<p>

"The judges have decided on who will be cast for each character, as well as who will be the understudy. If you are announced, please come to the stage. The Wizard of Oz will be played by You Ebihara, with Jack as the understudy! Congratulations!" The two made their way to the stage as Tsukasa continued, "Doctor Dillamond will be played by Yamada, with William as the understudy!"

Yamada jumped and pumped his fist into the air as this was announced. Amu couldn't help but giggle when she saw this.

"Fiyero will be played by Tadase, with Daniel as the understudy."

Tadase just blushed, he seemed frozen by the fact he got the part. Amu hit his back, and he snapped out of it. He got out of his chair and made his way towards the stage.

"Boq will be played by Ikuto, with Scott as the understudy."

Amu looked over to Ikuto as he made his way up to the stage. He didn't seem surprised or happy at all that he got the part; he just had his usual straight face plastered on.

"Madame Morrible will be played by Hitomi, with July as the understudy."

"Nessarose will be played by Sakurai Yua, with Jade as the understudy."

Amu looked at Sakurai Yua who was currently walking up to the stage. She was beautiful, and she walked with elegance. As she walked down the aisle in the auditorium her hair was flowing behind her.

Amu was snapped back to attention when Tsukasa began talking again, "Now, the ones we've all been waiting for; Glinda and Elphaba. Glinda will be played by Rima, with Yaya as the understudy!"

Rima got up and gracefully walked to the stage, while Yaya was screaming in happiness as she bounced out of her chair up to the stage. Amu admired Yaya; even though she was only the understudy, she was still so happy.

"And now… for Elphaba. Elphaba will be played by…"

Tsukasa paused, as the suspense built. Amu crossed her fingers and closed her eyes as she waited for the result. Utau was perfectly calm.

"Amu Hinamori, with Utau as the understudy!"

Amu jumped when she heard her name, and she ran up onto stage, hugging Yaya. She let go of Yaya, and then hugged Rima. Rima tried to squirm out of it as Amu hugged her. Amu released her and hugged Tadase tightly. Tadase choked as she cut off his air. She let go and turned around, lining up with the rest of them.

"Well, there you have it. Our 'Wicked' cast!" Tsukasa yelled. Applause erupted throughout the auditorium.

* * *

><p>That afternoon Amu was so excited that she and Ami skipped all the way home. Ami was very excited for her sister, she even screamed when she heard the news. When Amu and Ami got home Yaya told them that she had invited Tadase so they could celebrate together.<p>

"You guys stay here and celebrate for a bit… I'm going to go somewhere quickly," Amu told them.

About 10 minutes later Amu came back into the dorm. Following behind her was Rima, Utau and Ikuto. When Tadase saw Ikuto enter he flinched noticeably.

Amu began speaking with a firm voice, "Look, Ikuto and Tadase. I know you two have some past unresolved issues. I have no idea what they are, but we're going to be communicating a lot for this musical. Plus, Ikuto, you and I train together at Easter now, so we need to get along as well."

"What?" Tadase and Utau shouted in unison, "You train together?"

"Oh… I hadn't told you yet, Tadase…" Amu said slowly, "We're both in the same acting class at Easter's trainee academy."

"HOLD THAT!" Tadase yelled, "Since when do you train at Easter's academy?"

"Since I quit the advertising group..."

"I thought you said you despised Easter's methods!" Tadase yelled with anger in his voice.

"Yaya, can you please take Ami to another room?" Amu asked kindly.

"Yes, of course!" Yaya said obediently.

Ikuto and Rima watched the situation carefully. Utau's anger was slowly building up.

"I do despise Easter's methods!" Amu screamed, "But I have no choice! Ami is locked into a contract with them. They threatened to treat her really harshly if I didn't join too…"

Tadase remained silent for a moment before he began speaking again, "Oh… I'm so sorry Amu."

"How dare you!" Utau now screamed. Amu altered her attention from Tadase to Utau, "Ikuto is mine! We're engaged to be married!"

Now it was Amu's turn to shout, "What?" Even Rima's eyes rose at this statement.

Utau turned around and wrapped her arms around Ikuto's neck before pressing her lips to his. Amu's jaw dropped as she watched the scene. Ikuto's eyes widened as she pressed her lips to his, and he was stunned out of shock. After a few seconds he pushed her off before yelling, "We're siblings!"

Amu and Rima spoke in unison, "Sib… lings… WHAT?"

Utau looked away she spoke, "What, is there something wrong with that?"

"Umm… no…" Amu said slowly. She was still overcoming her shock at the situation.

"If you have something to say, say it now!" Utau yelled.

"Stop, Utau," Ikuto demanded.

Everyone remained silent for a few moments before Tadase spoke, "Well I should go back to my dorm…"

"Yeah..." Rima said, she was still shocked at the situation. Unlike Amu, however, Rima kept a calm, composed exterior.

"No!" Amu demanded, "We haven't gotten to the reason I bought everyone here yet. We're going to be together a lot, and we need to all co-operate. No matter what has happened between any of us in the past, I need all of you to swear that you will co-operate with every single one of us here."

All 4 of them looked at Amu hesitantly.

"None of you are leaving until you tell me that you will co-operate with each other."

None of the 4 spoke.

"I'm serious. I won't let you leave."

"I'll co-operate," Ikuto said.

"Then I guess I'll co-operate too," Utau added.

"Me too, then," Rima said reluctantly.

The four of them all looked at Tadase expectantly, "Yeah, it's so easy for you to say you'll co-operate, isn't it Ikuto, Utau... Well it's not that easy for me! You were the one that destroyed my whole life! You and your family! I hate you! I hate you so much!"

Rima maintained her straight face through Tadase's outburst. Utau and Ikuto had a sad look on their face, while Tadase was about to cry.

"Tadase…" Amu began.

"No. I'll never agree to this!" Tadase yelled, as he slammed the door open and ran out of the dorm.

Amu hung her head, "I failed. I tried to help us all, and all I ended up doing was hurting you all…"

The three of them all stood still, not one of them knew what to do. At that time, Yaya came out from Amu's room and saw Amu crying. She ran over to Amu and hugged her.

"I could hear the argument from in there…" Yaya told her, "It's alright Amu!"

Amu continued to sob into Yaya's shoulder. The other three just stood around awkwardly. "You guys can leave now," Yaya told them firmly.

The three of them walked out of the dorm, and Ikuto closed the door on his way out.

Amu cried for a few minutes before she wiped her eyes for good. "I'm better now. Thank you so much, Yaya."

"No problem, Amu! I'll always be here for you!"

"Well, I'm going to go have a shower to freshen up," Amu told Yaya.

"Okay, then!"

* * *

><p>After Amu's shower she decided she would call Kukai. She really wanted to confide in him, Yaya was a good friend, but no-one could comfort her like Kukai could. As the phone was ringing, some terrible thoughts rushed through Amu's head. Kukai and Tadase had been friends for a long time. What would happen if Kukai blamed Amu?<p>

Out of panic, Amu quickly hung up the phone before Kukai picked up. She decided that after she settled things with Tadase she'd call to tell Kukai about how she got the lead for the musical.

* * *

><p>Amu's vocal and dancing training went well on Saturday. The time came around for her acting training. She got to the room in which she had her acting classes, and the teacher told Amu that they were going to be sitting in a circle. Amu sat herself down. After a few seconds someone sat down beside Amu. She turned to see that it was Ikuto.<p>

"Ikuto…" She began, however, she was interrupted by the teacher.

"Today we're going to do improvisation. First of all, I want you to pair up with the person next to you." Amu immediately turned to Ikuto, and the two of them paired up. "I'm going to hand each pair a sheet of paper. All the sheet of paper says is one line. That will be the starting point of your conversation. Next you will have to improvise what to say next, and alter your ideas as the conversation flows. I don't want to see any of you thinking about what to say next! Your conversations should flow as if you were reading a script."

The teacher began walking around the room to hand out the starting sentences. Amu's starting sentence was _About last night… _What were the chances? Amu thanked god for her luck.

"About last night…" Amu began.

"Yeah… I wanted to talk to you about that as well," Ikuto told her.

"I wanted to apologise. It's my fault you were hurt."

"I wasn't the one that was hurt. I'm not the one you should be apologising too," he told her.

"Don't lie!" Amu yelled, "I saw your face when he yelled at you. You were hurt."

Ikuto stayed silent for a moment and looked away, avoiding eye contact.

"See! You avoid eye contact, look away and go silent whenever you know that I'm right!" Amu told him.

"Okay! I was hurt…"

"What happened between you two?" Amu questioned.

"It's a complicated story…"

"I have a lot of time," she reassured him.

"Well, you don't need to know the whole story. The main thing you need to know is that we used to be best friends."

"Huh?"

"Yeah… when we were little we were best friends. But a lot of stuff happened, and he needed someone to blame. I was the easiest person to blame…"

Amu ran up to Ikuto and hugged him, "I'm so sorry… for both of you."

Ikuto responded by wrapping his arms around her.

"Bravo!" The acting teacher yelled, "You two were magnificent! You spoke so naturally, it seemed like it was real!"

Amu was pulled back into reality; she remembered that they were currently in a class. She let go of Ikuto, and they both removed their hands from each other.

"No-one else in this room had that same level of acting. I didn't tell you this, but this activity was secretly a test. You two are the only two that passed," the teacher told them.

"Huh?" Amu asked, confused at what she was saying.

"Hinamori Amu, Tsukiyomi Ikuto, I hereby declare that you are now stage 11 for acting!"

The class started clapping.

"Yay!" Amu cheered, finally realising what was going on. Ikuto smirked.

"Well, you two can take a break," the teacher told them. The two of them walked out the room.

After the two of them were a fair distance away, Amu began talking, "I feel kind of guilty."

"Why?" Ikuto asked quizzically.

"Well, we passed our acting test, when we weren't actually acting."

Ikuto smirked, "You don't even know the first thing about acting do you?"

"Hey!"

"What I'm trying to say is whenever you act; you should always relate it to real situations you've been in. If you pretend that it's a real situation you've been in, your acting will become much more realistic and natural. If you're just trying to act the scene, you can't have that natural feel to your acting."

"Oh… I see what you mean," Amu told him, "Thanks for your help!"

"Oh, and… I'm really sorry about your sister," Ikuto told her.

"No problem. I mean, when I'm here with you I forget that we're in the building of a manipulative company who wouldn't stop at anything."

"Thanks, Amu."

* * *

><p>The next day Amu and Ikuto had their first stage 11 acting class. As soon as they entered the class turned around and looked at them. There was one person who stood out to Amu immediately. She had long, flowing orange hair. She was wearing a pink dress which was made to look like it is a shirt and skirt. Her face was perfect, and her legs were extremely long. She looked like the perfect model. Sakurai Yua.<p>

"Welcome to acting class stage 11," Yua said kindly.

"You're in this class too, Yua?" Amu asked.

"Yes, I am. I hope we can work well together."

"I'm sure we'll be able to," Amu told her.

"Especially with you, Ikuto," Yua directed the conversation to Ikuto.

"Yeah, sure," Ikuto replied simply.

The teacher began speaking; she explained that an extremely important part of acting is being able to get intimate with your co-stars. Almost every T.V show and movie has some form of intimacy. Intimacy would be the focus of the lesson.

"I want everyone to pair up," The teacher told them.

Amu turned to Ikuto, but Yua quickly stepped right in front of Amu and asked Ikuto in a sickly sweet voice, "Will you partner with me?"

Ikuto shrugged his shoulders, no apparent emotion on his face. Amu turned around to the rest of the class, and soon a boy approached her. He was looking at the floor, as he rubbed his right foot on the ground.

As he shook with nervousness he asked her, "Do you want to partner with me?"

"Sure," Amu replied, "What's your name?"

"I'm Suzuki Seiichiro."

"Oh. I'm Hinamori Amu."

"Yes, I know," Seiichiro told her, "I go to Seiyo academy too. You're pretty famous."

Before Amu had a chance to respond the teacher began giving instructions on what they had to do. She handed around sheets, each which had a different intimate scenario on them.

Seiichiro began confidently. As he began talking, Amu wouldn't have known it was the same person who had introduced himself a minute ago, "I love you. We are made to be together."

"No… we can't be together," Amu told him sadly.

"Yes! We have to!" He demanded, "I won't take no for an answer!"

"But… our parents are…"

"You're just making excuses. I love you, and you love me. Isn't that enough?" He grabbed her wrist as he said it.

Amu flinched as he grabbed her wrist, "No… It's not enough…"

He pulled her closer towards him as he leaned in to kiss her. Amu closed her eyes out of fear as he leaned in closer. She quickly pushed him off her, "Ah!"

The whole class turned around to look as they heard a 'thump' when Seiichiro fell to the floor.

"I'm so sorry," Amu told him as she extended her hand to pull him up, "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," he reassured her.

"What was that all about?" The teacher asked as she approached Amu and Seiichiro.

"I'm sorry," Amu began, "But he leaned in to kiss me… and it just freaked me out. Plus… I have a boyfriend… and…"

"Stop making excuses!" The teacher yelled, interrupting Amu, "This is an acting class, and you obviously aren't taking it seriously. You probably think you're so special since you were one of the only 2 to pass the test from your last class."

"No!" Amu tried to say.

"DON'T INTERRUPT ME!" The teacher bellowed, "Well, here that still makes you the lowest of this class. I need a demonstration of how this should go. Yua, can you show us. Who do you want as your partner?"

"I'll be fine with Ikuto," Yua reassured the teacher.

"Well… as long as you're sure. I hope he doesn't disappoint like this other one."

Amu felt hurt; she spoke as if Amu wasn't even there. Amu's intentions had been nothing like what the teacher had suggested.

Yua walked over to Amu to collect her script, as Ikuto collected the script from Seiichiro. As Yua took the script off Amu, she leaned into Amu's ear and whispered, "I want you to watch his reaction very closely. Know that it's something you'll never be able to elicit from him." Yua spoke with spite in her voice. Amu had no idea why Yua despised her so much.

Instead of Ikuto beginning, Yua began instead, "I love you. We are made to be together."

Ikuto looked like his head was pounding, as he quietly whispered, "No… we can't be together…"

"Yes! We have to!" She spoke seductively, "I won't take no for an answer."

"But… our parents are…" Ikuto spoke, seemingly unsure of himself. Ikuto sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than he was trying to convince Yua. It was a very different approach to the one that Amu had taken.

"You're just making excuses. I love you, and you love me. Isn't that enough?" Yua said as she grabbed his arm.

Ikuto gulped as she grabbed his arm, and he closed his eyes as he breathed out, "No…" He took a deep breath in before continuing, "It's not enough…"

Yua pulled him to her, and locked her lips on his. She pressed her lips to his for a few seconds before Ikuto pulled away.

"Was that enough?" Yua asked confidently.

"Oh, yes," Ikuto told her.

"Bravo!" The teacher yelled, "You two were magnificent! This is how the scene should be performed."

"Of course, Madam. We're much better than those 3rd rates," Yua said pompously.

It was at that moment Amu made up her mind. She would absolutely outshine Yua at everything.

* * *

><p>The next day Amu got to school early. As she entered her form class, she saw that Tadase was already sitting in class. He had a contemplative look on his face.<p>

"Tadase…" Amu began.

"Amu, I'm sorry. No matter how hard I try… I can't be friends with Ikuto."

"No… It's my fault Tadase. I shouldn't have pushed it."

"No, you were right. We need to get along. I just can't though… I'm sorry."

"It's fine, Tadase," Amu assured him.

At that time Ikuto entered the room. Neither Tadase nor Amu said a word as he entered and made his way towards his seat. However, as he approached where Amu and Tadase were sitting, he sat in the desk next to Amu.

"I didn't expect Tadase to say hello… but even you're giving me the cold shoulder now?" Ikuto said while pouting.

"I'm not giving you the cold shoulder."

"Are you jealous?" Ikuto asked playfully.

"What?" Amu choked as he said this.

"Don't worry, I was just acting with Sakurai Yua," he assured her.

"No, I wasn't jealous," Amu said spitefully.

"She's dating Kukai, remember," Tadase reminded him, taking a passive-aggressive stance.

"Wow, you seem to be enforcing the whole 'she's dating Kukai thing' sharply. Maybe you're trying to clear your conscience?"

"What? I don't know what you're talking about!" Tadase started to get angry now.

"Oh. Shall I remind you?" Ikuto asked, smirking.

Amu looked on with confusion, what could Tadase be trying to clear his conscience for? Tadase stayed silent, not answering Ikuto's question.

"Well, as Kukai was leaving he gave you a special item…" Ikuto continued.

Tadase pushed his seat out as he stood up quickly, "You say one more word…"

"Well," Ikuto continued. He was cut off as Tadase's fist connected with his jaw.

Amu gasped as his fist connected, "How could you provoke him like that?" Amu asked angrily.

"Don't you feel good?" Ikuto asked.

Tadase smiled, "Oh… I feel so good."

"How long have you wanted to do that?"

"Ever since we were little kids," Tadase told him.

"Will you be happy to co-operate for the musical now?" Ikuto asked.

"Sure," Tadase told him, "Don't think it's any kind of friendship invitation, though. I still hate you, and I'll punch your gut given the chance next time."

Amu looked on the situation, dumbfounded, "What the fuck just happened…?"

"Sometimes, it's easier for boys to just fight things out," Ikuto told her.

"That is **so **barbaric!" Amu yelled astonished. Amu appeared as though she had something else to say.

"And?" Tadase and Ikuto questioned at the same time.

"Well, if I had to admit it. A little hot."

Ikuto smirked, as Tadase blushed.

"Don't get the wrong idea," Amu told them, "Guys getting in fights is so ugly. I don't know why guys think it appeals to girls. It's gross. It's just the idea of being able to fight in order to makeup is totally foreign, so it kind of appeals."

"Don't worry, Kukai won't care if you say we're hot," Ikuto told her.

Amu scoffed, "Don't get full of yourself, now."

Ikuto was about to reply when the bell rang, and a stream of students started coming into class.

"We can continue this conversation later," he told Amu.

* * *

><p>The rest of the day passed by fairly quickly for Amu; at the student council meeting Tadase told them that due to the fact practice for the musical was every Wednesday and Friday after school, student council meetings would only be on Mondays. After Amu picked up Ami and got home she was eager to call Kukai.<p>

As the phone rang Amu decided that she would tell Kukai about her fight with Tadase. After all, he would want to know. A lot had happened to Amu over the past few days, they would have a lot to talk about.

Amu heard a voice on the other end, and eagerly Amu started talking. After a few seconds, however, Amu realised that she was talking to message bank.

'_Hmm. He didn't answer. That's unusual… Maybe he's busy. I'll try again later tonight.' _

Amu tried calling him 6 times that night. He didn't pick up once.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: … Another ominous ending for chapter 13. By the way, if you guys didn't notice the scene where Utau kisses Ikuto is very similar to a scene from the manga/anime. I did it on purpose since that's one of my favourite scenes :D. There was actually a LOT of important stuff this chapter… **

**Why didn't Kukai pick up? What did the part at the start of the chapter (The part about if she had known what a difference she could have made in that conversation) mean? **

**So the two romantic leads for the musical are Amu and Tadase! Hint: Go back to the preview… One of the parts is about the romantic leads of the musical. I didn't write the names of the romantic leads before so it didn't spoil anything.**

**Amu's past was revealed! Like everything in this story, though, when things are revealed it just leaves more questions. Why did her parents suddenly decide to abandon Ami and her? Who was this mysterious man that took her in? Why did the man abuse her?**

**Sakurai Yua and Suzuki Seiichiro have entered! They'll both be reasonably important from now on. **

**A little bit of Tadase and Ikuto's past was revealed! After 'an event' happened Tadase needed someone to blame and so he blamed Ikuto. What could that event have been that it would cause Tadase to despise him so much now?**

**Tadase and Ikuto agreed to get along for the sake of the performance at least. Could this be the start of them making up? **

**Ikuto knows that Tadase has the key! How does he know about the key? How does he know that Tadase has it?**

**Until next time! **


	16. Chapter 14: Blackmailer Chara

**Chapter 14: Blackmailer Chara**

Wednesday came around and it was their first practice for Wicked. Amu was walking to the Auditorium with Yaya. When they arrived they saw most of the people were already there. Amu saw an old lady who introduced herself as Geraldine. Apparently she would be their coach for the musical.

"Well, we're going to use this session as a script-reading session. I want you all to get a feel for your characters," Geraldine told them.

After they finished, which took a good 2 hours, Geraldine told them that they were done for the day, as the old lady left, leaving just the main cast to themselves.

Sakura Yua began by asking Amu, "Did you come to accept what I whispered in your ear?" She talked in a voice loud enough that everyone could hear.

Amu started chuckling to herself. She had been planning her response ever since Sunday when she had decided she would outshine Yua in everything.

"Hey, Ikuto. I wanted to admit something. About what we were talking about before school on Monday…" Amu told him.

"Oh, are you finally gonna admit it?" Ikuto asked, smirking.

"Yes… I think you're totally hot," she told him, "But I know you think I'm hot too."

"Oh?" He asked, acting surprised.

"Yeah, I keep thinking about that time when I was straddling you…" Amu said, almost whispering, seductively.

Gasps were heard from other members of the cast, including Yaya and Tadase. Although they knew about that situation, they didn't think Amu would bring it up. Yua had a look of disgust on her face.

"What?" Yua asked incredulously.

Amu seemingly ignored Yua, maintaining her focus completely on Ikuto, "Yeah… when I was straddling you I could feel **it**. You were obviously excited."

By this point Hitomi had blocked her ears, trying to ignore the obviously dirty conversation that was taking place. Rima kept a straight face, while the others were astonished. The exception was Utau. Her face was currently becoming more and more red as her anger built up.

Amu now faced Yua and spoke to her, "Oh, and you can't act **that**. I think it's obvious who he thinks is more attractive."

Yua was now fuming, as her anger grew. She looked like she was about to scream, she was cut off however when Utau slapped her across the face. A unified, audible gasp was heard from the others when this happened.

"You bitch!" Utau screamed at her, "Ikuto is mine!"

Amu took this chance to step in, "Oh, please. You're his sister. Like you have a chance."

"Exactly! I'm his sister. That's why I'm the only one who knows what he's been through. I'm the only one who knows what he's suffered!" Utau yelled.

"That's enough Utau," Ikuto told her sternly, "We're leaving now."

Ikuto swiftly walked up the stairs out of the Auditorium. Utau followed closely behind him.

"Don't think this is over," Yua told Amu.

"Please. You won't beat me at anything. You chose the wrong girl to pick a competition with," Amu told her confidently.

"Just because you act like a slut to get the easy boys in your pants, don't think you can pass through life that way," Yua told her.

Amu got ready to slap her, but she didn't need to, as someone tapped Yua's shoulder from behind, causing her to turn around. Amu saw that it was Yaya. As soon as Yua's body was facing Yaya, she raised her hand, and Yua flinched. Yaya's open hand connected with her face so hard that Yua stumbled.

"Amu is my best friend!" Yaya yelled as she walked to stand beside Amu. Tadase and Yamada also walked to stand beside Amu.

"If you pick a fight with one of us, you pick a fight with all of us," Tadase warned her.

"Fine," Yua said as she turned around and began to walk up the stairs and out of the auditorium.

"Are you alright?" Yamada asked her.

"Of course," Amu told them, "She's just pissy since she knows that she can't match up to me."

"Anyway, we should go," Yaya told them.

* * *

><p>The next morning Amu got to school early again. She saw that Rima, Tadase and Ikuto were already in class. They were each sitting in their seat, silent.<p>

"Wow, do you two make a habit of getting to class early?" Amu asked, directing the question to Tadase and Ikuto.

"Yes, I'm usually here this early," Tadase told her.

Amu smiled at Tadase before making her way over to Ikuto, "I'm sorry for yesterday. That wouldn't have happened if I didn't start the argument."

"Amu," Rima interrupted.

Amu was surprised that Rima voluntarily talked to her, "What is it?"

"I think there's something here you should see…" Rima told her.

Amu wandered over to Rima's desk where Rima handed her a copy of the school newsletter. The headline: _Cyclone Amu Continues._

_Readers will recall our last issue addressed the issue of Amu's entrance into Seiyo Academy. Although she pretended to act like a bitch when she first entered the school she got close and snugly to Tadase, Ikuto and Kukai. _

_Since that issue she had started dating Kukai, the news erupted like wildfire. You would think that would stop her playing around; but it has done nothing but add oil to the fire. Kukai left to Canberra for a sports scholarship. She took this opportunity to add some new boys to her repertoire, namely Yamada and Suzuki Seiichiro. Meanwhile, she still pursues Tadase and Ikuto. _

Amu slammed down the newsletter after she read that much. The article was about ¾ of a page long altogether. It included pictures of her with the two boys, as well.

"God!" Amu screamed, "I am going to make sure that whoever wrote this pays."

At that time the bell went and people began piling into the classroom. After everyone entered the classroom Amu stood up to announce what she had just declared. She told everyone in the class to spread it around the school, too.

* * *

><p>That day after Amu picked up Ami and took her back to the dorm Amu decided that she needed to practice for the musical. After all, their first real rehearsal was tomorrow and Amu, thinking of her new acting class, now knew that first impressions really count. She made her way to the auditorium. When she entered she saw someone already standing on the stage practicing.<p>

_Let us be glad, Let us be greatful, Let us rejoicify that goodness could subdue the wicked workings of you-know-who._

Rima sounded angelic as she sung. As she went for the last vibrato note, her voice cracked.

"Damn it!" She cursed.

"I guess I'm not the only one worried about our first practice…" Amu told her.

"You heard that?" Rima asked.

"Yeah. I also came to practice 'cause I'm nervous."

"I'm not nervous," Rima said confidently."

"You don't need to hide it…" Amu told her, "I was like you before. I hid my true self, my true feelings."

"Don't pretend you know me," Rima told her.

"Well, should we practice a duet while we're both here?" Amu asked.

"Sure… I wanted to practice 'What is this feeling?' since it's our first duet."

"Sure, I'll turn the music on," Amu told her as she made her way over to the CD Player and selected the song.

**Rima**: _What is this feeling, so sudden and new?_  
><strong>Amu<strong>: _I felt the moment I laid eyes on you;_  
><strong>Rima<strong>: _My pulse is rushing;_  
><strong>Amu:<strong> _My head is reeling_;  
><strong>Rima<strong>: _My face is flushing;_  
><strong>Both<strong>: _What is this feeling? Fervid as a flame, Does it have a name? Yes! Loathing Unadulterated loathing_  
><strong>Rima<strong>: _For your face;_  
><strong>Amu<strong>: _Your voice;_  
><strong>Rima<strong>: _Your clothing;_  
><strong>Both<strong>_: Let's just say - I loathe it all Every little trait, however small Makes my very flesh begin to crawl With simple utter loathing There's a strange exhilaration In such total detestation It's so pure, so strong! Though I do admit it came on fast still I do believe that it can last and I will be loathing loathing you my whole life long._

_Loathing, truly deeply loathing you my whole life long!_

Rima held the last note, going into a high soprano vibrato.

"See, you did it!" Amu told her.

"That's because I was inspired singing this song. This meaning was really there."

"You don't really mean that," Amu told Rima.

"Oh yes I do," Rima assured her.

"I used to say that, too. Deep down, the desire for companionship in humans is too strong. Humans cannot live alone forever."

"Well, I'm going to practice by myself again. You can do whatever you want, just stop annoying me."

_Let us be glad, Let us be greatful, Let us rejoicify that goodness could subdue the wicked workings of you-know-who._

_Isn't it nice to know good will conquer evil? The truth we all believe'll by and by outlive and a lie._

This time Rima sung every high note perfectly.

"Good work," Amu told her.

"I told you not to annoy me," she warned.

"You need to lighten up," Amu told her, "Let me tell you a joke."

"Please don't."

"A piece of string walked into a bar and asked for a drink. The bartender replied only with, 'sorry, we don't serve pieces of string.' Sad and depressed, the piece of string walked itself outside the bar, and tied itself around itself a few times before walking back into the bar. The piece of string asked for a drink again. The bartender, confused, asked, 'aren't you a piece of string?' The piece of string replied with 'I'm a frayed knot.'"

Amu started cracking up from her own joke. Amu looked over to Rima who had a completely straight face. Amu noticed a twitch in Rima's eye. She looked like she was about to explode in anger or something. Then, all of a sudden Rima start bursting with laughter.

Amu blinked a few times, trying to work out what was happening. Rima was cracking up with laughter. Rima. Rima!

Rima quickly recomposed herself, "You didn't see anything just then."

"You secretly love comedy?" Amu asked.

"No, what would give you that idea," Rima said flatly.

"Umm… **that **would give me that idea."

"You can't tell anyone, okay?" Rima demanded.

"Oh… you're the one making demands now?" Amu teased.

"Please…" Rima begged.

"I won't tell anyone," Amu told her.

"Oh, thank you!" Rima said, relief washing over her.

"**If **you become my friend."

"I'm not going to become your friend," Rima told her sternly.

"Everyone needs someone, you know."

"I have people already, so I don't need you to be my friend."

"Oh? Who do you have?" Amu asked, her curiosity peaked.

"My servant fanboys."

"That's not what I meant…"

"Well, I need to go back to my dorm now. Goodbye, Amu."

With that Rima walked up the stairs and out of the auditorium. She seemed confident that Amu wouldn't tell everyone.

'_It's alright. I'm getting closer,' _Amu thought to herself.

* * *

><p>Amu and Ami went to Easter as usual on Saturday. Amu had vocal training first up. As she entered the studio their vocal instructor, Mr. Halse informed them that 1 boy had graduated from the 2nd class and would be joining them today. After a few minutes, the doors opened and the 4 students turned to look at who was joining. After all, with a class of 4, 1 new addition is a big difference. Amu gasped as she saw Seiichiro walk through the doors.<p>

"I'll be joining your class today. Please favour me!" Seiichiro said politely as he bowed.

"Seiichiro!" Amu gasped.

"Oh! Hi Amu! You remembered me!" He sounded astonished.

"All right, you can have a few moments to meet each other. After that we get straight back to work," Mr. Halse told them.

"I didn't know you were so good at singing!"

Seiichiro scratched his head and blushed at this comment, "Well… it is what I pride myself on the most."

"But… why didn't you audition for the school musical?" Amu asked.

"Well, there wasn't exactly a part for me," Seiichiro told her.

Amu wondered what he meant, but snapped out of it when she realised she had to introduce him to the other 3 members of the class. After a few minutes Mr. Halse began talking again.

"Argh. Damn it. I hate when there are boys and girls both in a vocal class. Makes so much work for me…"

"Don't worry about me," Seiichiro told him, "Just do your lesson as if it was all girls."

"Huh?" Mr. Halse questioned.

"I'm serious. You'll understand later…"

"Well, okay then…" Mr. Halse was still unsure, "Well, the most emotional and powerful songs have a belt at the end. In this belt the singer should pour all their emotions into it. It's the emotional climax of the song. Today we're going to work on belting. It could take a few lessons, but that's fine. I want you all to think of a song that has a powerful belt at the end. In a few moments I'll ask you to perform it. Amu knew straight away what song she would perform. Mr. Halse asked Amu to perform first, so Amu got up and told them that she'd sing the end of 'Defying Gravity' from the musical wicked.

_Nobody in all of Oz, no wizard that there is or was is ever gonna _

_Bring me down,_

_Bring me down,_

_WOA-OA-OAH_

She belted the last 3 lines as well as she could, and everyone applauded and cheered.

"Well, that was good," Mr. Halse told her, "However, I could feel some emotion missing… your final belt needs **everything **put into it. It's your last call. Well, you still sung damn bloody well. Who wants the next turn?"

"Umm… Would it be alright if I had the next turn?" Seiichiro asked shyly.

"Sure. Are you sure you're fine with belting?" Mr. Halse asked Seiichiro.

"Yeah… I have a song in mind. It's 'Good Day' from IU."

Seiichiro began tapping his foot, getting the beat. He closed his eyes, shutting out the people watching. After about 10 taps of his foot he began singing.

_I'm in my dream!_

As he began the note of 'dream' the jaws of every single other person in the room dropped. It was a very high note, one that even any of the girls there would have extreme difficulty reaching. He sung in his loudest possible voice, pouring all his emotions into it. After he held the note for over 10 seconds, he raised his pitch by about a semitone and held it for another 5 seconds, before raising his pitch by another semitone and holding the note for another 5 seconds. After he finished, he opened his eyes again and the applause erupted so loudly.

"Oh… my… god!" Mr. Halse screamed. Amu had never heard him scream like that before, "That was one of the best belts I've ever seen in my whole life! Why have you only come into the top class now?"

"Well… originally I was ashamed of my voice. Since I have a high pitched voice people always call me gay and things. Now, I've learned to embrace my voice, though. After I started embracing my true voice, I started quickly climbing through the classes."

"You know what?" Mr Halse asked.

"What?" Seiichiro questioned.

"I'm going to pass you. Right here and now. I have never done that before in my whole career. You are an extremely talented young boy."

"What…?" Seiichiro was speechless. The reality of what had just happened didn't sink in yet.

"Congratulations, Seiichiro. I hereby officially declare you have passed the first grade singing test. In terms of singing ability, you are ready to debut as a star!"

"OH MY GOD! YES!" Seiichiro screamed. He jumped up and down for a little bit, and the other four students all joined hands with him to celebrate together.

After a while they calmed down a bit. After that Amu invited Seiichiro to come to the musical practice. She told him that she thought he could help them improve. He agreed. Seiichiro stayed in the vocal training class for a while to help the girls, who kept practicing.

* * *

><p>When Amu and Ami got back to their dorm Yaya was excited.<p>

"Guess what?"

"What?" Amu questioned dully.

"Tadase decided that we're having a guardian's trip Monday during club time. Since we need to build understanding and morale within the guardians!"

"Oh… cool, I guess," Amu told her, not showing any enthusiasm.

"I thought you'd like that…" Yaya said sadly, pouting.

Amu thought about Rima. Maybe she could use this as an opportunity to get closer to Rima, "Actually, this might be good…"

"Yes! It will be!" Yaya said excitedly.

* * *

><p>After school finished the next day the guardians met at the royal garden. They then left the school grounds together, and began walking to the nearest shopping mall.<p>

"So, what are we doing?" Yaya asked excitedly.

"I was thinking we would just shop, and talk to each other. We need to get to know each other better," Tadase told them.

"Sounds like a good idea," Kairi told him.

"Well, how about we start off with our hobbies?" Tadase asked.

"Okay!" Yaya exclaimed excitedly, "I love dancing! Singing too, but dancing is my main favourite!"

Amu continued, "I like dancing and singing. I also like sports, and art. Oh, and I like cooking. And sewing…"

Tadase, Yaya and Kairi began laughing at Amu before Tadase continued talking, "I like… being a leader. I like caring for people."

"Well… I like science," Kairi told them.

Yaya's eyes narrowed in disinterest when she heard this, "So boring…"

"Don't be judgmental, Yaya," Tadase scolded her.

"Sorry! What about you, Rima?"

Rima stayed silent for a moment.

Amu gave Rima a look that said '_You better speak up or I will.' _

"Singing."

Her response was simple, but it was enough for the others to be impressed.

Their conversation continued like this until they reached the shopping centre. They began shopping around. The four of them were mostly getting dragged around by Yaya who was entering every clothes and jewellery store she could find. Amu's interest was peaked, however, when they entered one accessory store. She saw a large hair tie ribbon with stripes of white, yellow, pink, green and blue. The centre of the ribbon was held by four hearts in the shape of a four-leaved clover. The four hearts were red, green, yellow and blue.

"So beautiful…" Amu said slowly.

"You should get it!" Yaya said enthusiastically, "It would suit you!"

Amu began laughing, "As if I'd ever have the money for this kind of thing."

Yaya, Tadase and Kairi looked at her sadly, "Oh, don't look at me like that. I'm not complaining. I mean, sure, it'd be nice to be able to wear something like this sometimes, but that's not what's important in life. I don't need to look beautiful to be happy."

Tadase smiled, "You're right. It's what's on the inside the matters. On the inside, you're a princess."

Amu blushed, "Thanks, Tadase."

"What's this atmosphere?" Yaya blurted out.

"What atmosphere?" Amu asked.

Yaya looked at Amu quizzically, "Hmm… Nothing."

"Ooh!" Yaya exclaimed with joy.

"What is it this time?" Kairi groaned.

"A photo booth place! We should all take a photo together to commemorate this trip!"

"That sounds like a good idea!" Tadase agreed.

"Oh, look!" Yaya said happily, "This place even has good reviews from professional photographers!"

"Oh, look Tadase and Kairi! This review says that it's great for bringing out your feminine side!" Amu laughed as she told them.

"Oh great," Tadase said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.

"Great for bringing out your inner beauty," Yaya said in a serious voice as she read one of the reviews before lightly saying, "Hey, Amu. This reviewer has your family name! What a coincidence!"

Amu's eyes turned to look at the review Yaya was reading. After the review it read 'Hinamori Tsumugu.'

No matter what Amu did, she would never forget that name.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, there you have it! I'm VERY sorry for how short this chapter is. I actually didn't even know it was this short. Especially since this was a day late! Sorryy~ I think there should only be one other chapter in the whole story that's this short, though. <strong>

**Also, the whole thing describing the ribbon. (Yes, that is supposed to be the ribbon thing from Amulet Fortune's costume) I went into a lot of detail because there was originally going to be a plot around that, but I forgot about it, and it's too much to add in post-completion, so yeah. Sorry! It's not really important at all. **

**Barely have any free time this weekend, so sorry! Until next time! **


	17. Chapter 15: Betrayed Daughter Chara

**Chapter 15: Betrayed Daughter Chara**

Amu had made up some lame excuse and left quickly yesterday after seeing **his **name on a review. She was currently lying in her bed. Restless, she got out of bed and left her dorm. She began wandering around campus. She didn't really have any destination in mind. After a few minutes of wandering Amu found herself where lost souls meet, the planetarium. Amu chuckled to herself, before wandering in.

"Welcome, Joker."

"Tsukasa?" Amu questioned.

"Of course, who else would be here?"

"Right… I was wondering if you could give me some advice..." Amu began.

"When you're going through a hard time only someone who's gone through the same thing as you would be able to understand."

"I doubt anyone's been through what I've been through."

"You underestimate other people's bottled emotions and dark pasts. This is a meeting place for lost souls. The stars guide them to this place," Tsukasa told her with his usual cryptic speech.

"So other people have been through what I have?" Amu asked.

"Maybe not exactly what you've been through, but something to the same degree that you have."

"How will I know who to talk to?" Amu asked.

"Let the stars lead the way. Fate will always do its task. All you have to do is listen to it. Instead of seeking out someone to talk to, let fate lead you to someone."

Amu thought about what he said, and understood completely what she had to do, "Thanks."

Amu began to slowly walk out of the planetarium before Tsukasa began again, "Wait. I thought you might want to know. The keys have changed hands."

"What… Why would he do that?" Amu questioned to herself, confused.

"I think deep down, you know the reason," Tsukasa told her.

Amu thought about what he said, and images began filling her mind. Without saying another word, she left the planetarium and began walking. After a minute or so of walking she saw the auditorium in the distance.

'_This is where you led me, fate?' _Amu thought to herself. As Amu walked into the auditorium she saw Tadase standing on the stage by himself.

"Amu!" He yelled out, "Are you alright?"

"Not really," she told him honestly, "Can I confide in you?"

"Of course… I'm guessing you know that Tsumugu guy?"

"Yeah. He's my father. It's a long story."

"I've got time," he told her.

"Well," Amu began. She proceeded to tell the story of how her parents divorced, and both of them left her and her sister to live on the streets. She told him of how they met a man who took them in, but he betrayed her trust and abused her.

As Amu completed her story Tadase ran up to her and embraced her, "I'm so sorry."

"Thanks…"

"I'll tell you what I do whenever I feel sad. I like to sing and dance with a partner. Secretly, I was the one who started Kukai on dancing. He would always cheer me up by dancing with me. Of course, we were both absolutely terrible and it would look more like monkeys hopping around…"

Amu began to laugh at the thought, but felt suddenly sad at the thought of Kukai. Pain began to pierce her heart.

"I know that just forgetting about my problems probably isn't the best thing to do… but sometimes it's the only thing that I can do. I guess, just sometimes, you have to dance through life."

"Oh?"

"Since we're here, in an Auditorium, what do you say we practice for the musical?" Tadase asked her.

"What song?" Amu asked.

"You can't tell? I even gave you a hint." Tadase asked as he walked over to the CD player and chose the track.

"Dancing through life?" Amu asked.

Tadase winked at her as he pressed play.

Tadase began walking around Amu in a circle as he began to sing.

_The trouble with schools is they always try to teach the wrong lesson. Believe me; I've been kicked out of enough of them to know. They want you to become less callow, less shallow, but I say: "why invite stress in?" Stop studying strife and learn to live "the unexamined life"  
><em>

Tadase connected his hands with Amu, and began singing to her.

_Dancing through life, skimming the surface, gliding where turf is smooth. Life's more painless for the brainless. Why think too hard? When it's so soothing. _

Tadase began swaying with Amu. Amu began to sway along with him. As they danced Amu began to forget about her father, forgetting about everything that was happening with her. She focused on dancing._  
><em>

_Dancing through life no need to tough it, when you can sluff it off as I do. Nothing matters but knowing nothing matters it's just life so keep dancing through..._

_Dancing through life, swaying and sweeping and always keeping cool. Life is fraughtless when you're thoughtless. Those who don't try never look foolish. Dancing through life mindless and careless make sure your where less trouble is rife. Woes are fleeting, blows are glancing when you're dancing_  
><em>through life...<em>

As the dance ended Amu decided to take the male role and supported Tadase as he leaned back into a dip. As he leaned back his necklace which was hidden beneath his shirt slid down, revealing 3 keys on the necklace. Amu, shocked, let go of Tadase, who fell to the ground.

"It was you…"

"Amu," Tadase began.

"Kukai gave the keys to you."

"Yes, he did it for you, Amu."

"No! He didn't! If he really cared about me he would keep the keys!"

"That's not the way he thought, Amu," Tadase tried to tell her.

"No! And what kind of friend are you, picking up your supposed 'best friends' scraps. No matter what anyone says, in my books that will always be wrong. Always," Amu told him. She began to storm out of the auditorium and to her dorm room. Yaya questioned her on what was wrong, but Amu told her it was nothing. Amu had to go pick up Ami, so luckily she could avoid Yaya's questions.

* * *

><p>Amu made sure she made it to form class just on time the next day, so she could avoid talking to Tadase. She got into class about 2 minutes after the bell rang. Nikaido, however, was still not in class. The majority of the class had not settled since Nikaido wasn't in class yet. Amu sat in her seat, and almost as soon as she did Tadase began talking to her.<p>

"Listen, Amu…"

"No. I don't want to talk to you right now," Amu said harshly. The class immediately quietened down as everyone looked at the two of them. They hadn't seen this side of Amu for a long time.

"Amu…" Tadase said sadly.

Amu kept a straight face, ignoring his pout, "Just shut up, god. You're so bloody annoying. That voice is like a whiny baby."

"Well!" Yamada announced, "Let's cheer up the atmosphere… Joke time!"

Everyone groaned as Yamada continued talking, "Why was the strawberry crying?" Everyone remained silent. "Because his parents were in a jam!"

No-one laughed. The class remained silent. A pin drop could have been heard. Yamada's face slowly grew sad. Suddenly, though, laughter erupted from behind Amu. As she turned around she saw Rima cracking up laughing. Every head in the classroom turned at once to Rima. She stopped laughing, realising what had just happened. She froze for a moment, unsure what to do. Suddenly, Amu got out of her chair and walked over to Rima's side.

"What are you all looking at?" She asked everyone harshly.

Some of Rima's fanboys had a devastated look on their face, "What the hell…?"

"So what if she likes jokes? It just means that she's an ordinary girl like everyone else." Amu told them, "You got a problem with that?"

Rima was still frozen.

"Rima likes comedy… Her princess image is ruined…" A few boys chorused.

"C'mon Rima, let's go," Amu told her as she grabbed Rima's hand. Rima stood up and followed Amu who pulled her out of the classroom.

Amu led her to the royal garden where the both of them sat. They sat in silence for a moment before Amu started talking, "Are you alright?"

"My life is ruined."

"Don't over exaggerate…"

"I'm not! All the girls in this school already hate me. Now all the boys will think I'm some ugly fake bitch… I'll have no-one."

"Those fan boys weren't real friends in the first place."

"But they were all I had!" Rima yelled, "Having them was easy. It was a non-emotional attachment."

"Sometimes you need to step out of your comfort zone. Try making a real friend for once."

"You don't know what I've been through!" Rima shouted.

"Oh? Really? You know Tsumugu, that reviewer?"

"Yes."

"That's my father. He and my mother abandoned me and my little sister, and we had to live out on the streets. Finally, as I collapsed since I hadn't eaten in days we were taken in by a man. I learnt that in this world there were some people you can trust."

"See! That's hardly as bad as what happened to me!" Rima yelled.

"I'm not finished yet!" Amu screamed, "Don't interrupt me again. I truly trusted him. Then he abused me! I promised myself I would never trust anyone again. Yet, I came to this school. I met Nadeshiko, Kukai, Tadase and Yaya. They helped me to trust again. I don't regret one minute of it."

"I learnt that everyone here has a past. I'm not the only one who decided not to trust again. There are other people here who have been through what I have, just as there are people here who have been through what you have."

Rima looked to the floor before she began speaking softly, "I was abused too…"

"Oh… I'm so sorry Rima," Amu told her as she embraced her tightly.

"It was on my way home from school. When I told my parents, instead of being concerned for me they were too busy arguing whose fault it was."

"I guess we're more similar than we thought," Amu told her.

Rima smiled at the thought, "Thanks, Amu."

"Just so you know, we're friends now," Amu stated, smiling. Rima stayed silent at the comment. "Well what do you want to do?" Amu asked her.

"We should probably go back to class. Form class is already over we have sewing now."

"Yeah, okay."

The two began to walk back to class. As they walked through the hallway Amu heard shouting from inside their form classroom.

"That's Utau's voice," Amu told Rima.

"And Nikaido…" Rima added.

Amu moved her body closer to the door so she could hear the argument.

"I won't blindly follow whatever you demand anymore!" Utau shouted.

"This is an order direct from the director of Easter. If you do not follow it, you are only putting yourself and Ikuto at risk," Nikaido warned her.

"Ikuto…" Utau said slowly.

"I think you know exactly what will happen if you disobey this order."

"I don't get how you can do it!" Utau screamed at him, "How can you support the directors plans?"

Nikaido chuckled in reply before Utau continued talking, "Tell me the truth. Did you come to this school solely to keep an eye on me and Ikuto?"

"Yes."

Utau scoffed, "Is this school also part of your domination plan?"

"Yes, and there's nothing you can do to stop Easter. Easter already has enough power to suppress any police activity. There's no-one that can stop us now."

"You will pay for this," Utau warned, "There are people who will bring you down."

"No, we won't. Anyone who knows about our activity is already under our control. We're already moving in on major food companies. We're going to take over major fast food companies soon. After that, it's only a matter of time before Easter has a monopoly over everything."

"What is going on...?" Amu asked Rima softly.

"After that, Easter will hold more power than even the government," Nikaido told her.

"That will never happen!" Utau screamed.

"Oh please, it's already starting to happen. Think about it, everyone knows the name of Hoshina Utau, Lady GaGa, Katy Perry and Girls' Generation. In this shallow society people care more about stars that do nothing for them than they do about the government, who tries to make their lives better. The downfall of society will be the selfishness of its inhabitants. We already hold enough power that we can break the law and get away with it."

"Don't think this is some book where you can take over the world!" Utau screamed.

"This isn't a little story. This is reality. Unlike in stories, Easter isn't going to use some magic spell to take over the world. This is reality, and the fact is that people **want **Easter to take over the country. After the country, what do you think is next? We'll hold a monopoly over everything. Once that happens, the rich will keep getting richer and the poor will get poorer."

"Well you should know that in stories, a hero will always bring down the evil organisation."

Nikaido scoffed, "Well think what you want."

Amu and Rima heard footsteps coming towards them, so they quickly moved away and began walking down the hall. After a few seconds they heard the door open behind them. Amu turned around to see Utau coming out of the door.

"Oh, hi Utau," Amu said.

Utau ignored her and brushed past Amu, storming towards her class.

"Rima, what do you say we go back to the royal garden…" Amu told her.

"Good idea…"

When they arrived at the royal garden Amu began talking, "What the hell? I knew Easter was corrupted but what the hell is this? They break the law and get away with it? What were they even talking about?"

"Nikaido is so twisted!" Rima yelled.

"We have to stop them."

"Us? What can we do?" Rima said with hopelessness in her voice.

"Well you heard him, the police are useless. No one else knows about this. We're the only ones," Amu told her.

"We can't do it ourselves, we need someone to help us."

"Who?" Amu questioned, "I mean let's face it. Neither of us have parents. There's no-one that can help us."

"What can we do by ourselves, though?"

"We need absolute proof that can't be questioned in a court."

"Well," Rima thought for a moment, "The only thing that would do that is a confession from the director himself."

"Well, we could record it, I guess…"

"Well, I guess it's time for me to meet the director," Amu told her.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, since I train at Easter I'm the only one that'll have any sort of hope."

"Yeah, but… if this guy is as corrupted as we think I doubt he's gonna be nice…" Rima warned her.

"Yeah, don't worry. I'll be careful," Amu reassured her, "I guess I'll have to wait until Saturday."

"Yeah, okay. Until then we should be careful of Nikaido and Utau," Rima told her.

"Utau?" Amu questioned.

"Yeah. Although it was reluctantly, she decided to follow Nikaido's orders."

"You're right…"

* * *

><p>The next day at the start of form period Nikaido had an announcement, as usual.<p>

"Very exciting announcement guys!" He began, "Who knows Easter?"

Everyone sat up straight at the mention of the famous company. "What on Earth is he planning?" Amu asked herself quietly.

"Well there was a talent scout at the auditions for the school musical. However, since there were so many talented singers they couldn't choose. Due to that, Easter has decided to hold an audition at our auditorium, solely for our school!"

Cheers were heard throughout the class. Amu turned around and saw Rima. Her eyes met with Rima in a look that said _'what are they doing?' _Amu then saw Utau. Her head was hung low.

"Easter has asked that everyone auditions; you can audition by singing, dancing, acting or modelling. The auditions will be held in week 10."

The class was so excited; things didn't calm down at all that lesson.

About halfway into the lesson Tadase began to talk to Amu, "Hey, Amu…"

"What?" Amu asked harshly.

"I'm so sorry…"

"I'm not angry at you anymore," Amu told him.

"You aren't?"

"No… I'm just stressed right now and I don't have time to deal with you."

Tadase was hurt by her words. The way Amu spoke made it seem like he was just a hassle she had to deal with. Amu wasn't looking at him, however, so didn't notice the hurt in his eyes.

Amu got out of her chair and made her way over to Rima and whispered in her ear, "Let's talk at recess in the royal garden."

* * *

><p>When recess came around the two of them made their way to the royal garden. When they met Rima spoke first, outraged, "What on Earth are they trying to do?"<p>

"They're trying to take over the school... They'll accept a lot of people as Easter trainees. Before you know it half the school will be working for or training under Easter. They'll have absolute power of the school."

"Why are they targeting this school, though?" Rima asked.

"I'm guessing because of Utau."

"Why do they target her so much, though?"

"I have no idea…" Amu said. Rima posed a good question. What was it that made Easter want Utau as one of their servants?

"Well, despite the reasons we have to stop them," Rima stated.

"Yeah, and before they have a hold on the school," Amu added in, "I think we should talk to the other guardians about it."

"Are you sure about that?" She questioned.

"What do you mean?"

"Well I mean, how much can we really trust them?" Rima asked.

"I trust them all!" Amu told her, not ready to back down.

"Well, okay then. Despite that, there's nothing they could do to help anyway. Even if we told them, they'd be unable to do anything. For now we just have to wait until you meet with the director."

"That's true. I guess there's no point in telling them yet anyway. I feel so useless, though. All we can do is wait for the weekend to roll around? It's already week 7. After this week, there's only 3 weeks left before the end of term."

* * *

><p>The practice for the musical had been going reasonably well so far. They had been flat out practicing; they didn't have time to have fights. That smooth streak ended when Friday came around, though.<p>

"Alright, only 3 weeks time left until we have to perform this in full. This week and next week we're going to work on refining some points. During week 9 we're going to do full run throughs, and in week 10 are our dress rehearsals," Geraldine told them, "Today, I'm going to do name and shame. Some people are simply not at the point they need to be with their singing. You Ebihara, Tadase, Ikuto, Rima and Amu."

Sakurai Yua smirked as Amu's name was called out, "Wow you're such a good singer, Amu."

"Oh, shut up," Geraldine said. Everyone's heads turned to her. They hadn't expected such a frail looking old lady to say something like that. "The only reason you weren't called out is since you're barely important. You're main role is acting, not singing," she continued.

Everyone started laughing at the same time, and she glared at Amu.

"Anyway, let's start. You others, I want you to just go off and practice by yourself," Geraldine told them, "Now, you guys. You all have some hard notes, and those notes are the ones that will wow the audience. We need them to be perfect by the time you perform. Tadase, I'll start with you."

"Okay, what shall I sing?" He asked.

"I want you to sing the dancing through life. Just before the interlude where they talk about the Oz dust ballroom. The last line, with the long note," she told him.

Suzuki Seiichiro sat watching. He was intrigued.

Tadase breathed in and out a few times before he began singing.

_Woes are fleeting, blows are glancing when you're dancing through LIFE! _

He held the last note, and after he finished, Geraldine stomped on the floor, "That was pathetic."

"What?" he questioned softly.

"That was truly pathetic. You were just holding the note. You are supposed to belt it out, not just hold it. That's so boring," she told him, "I'll come back to you."

Tadase looked truly offended, she spoke as if he was beyond help.

"Okay, Ikuto you're up," Geraldine told him, "We're going to do the end of dancing through life now. I want you to sing the 'let's dance' note."

"Sure," he told her.

"All of you," Geraldine said as she pointed to the Amu, Rima, Tadase and You, "Will sing the other part."

Ikuto closed his eyes before he belted out his note.

_Let's DANCE!_

As he began the others began singing.

_Dancing through life down at the Oz dust if only because dust is what we come to. And the strange thing, you're life could end up changing._

As Ikuto held the note, his voice faded, and his voice was drowned out by the others singing.

"Oh, god," Geraldine said as she her head collapsed into her hands, "I could barely hear you because of the others singing."

"Would you like us to sing softer?" You asked.

"No! The whole point is that Ikuto should sing louder, and more powerfully," she told them, "You're voice should be so amazing that people don't even pay attention to the others singing. Amu, this applies to you too, for your last note in defying gravity. When you're singing by yourself you're amazing, but when you're trying to sing over people you get drowned out. The audience should completely zone out from the people singing over you because you're so amazing."

"Umm… Geraldine, I think I could help with this lesson," Seiichiro butted in.

She scoffed, "I'm willing to try anything at this point."

"Well, Ikuto," Seiichiro began, "What do you think would help you learn?"

"Well, if I knew what it was actually supposed to be like…" Ikuto began, "I'm not a tenor singer in the first place, so it's quite difficult for me to picture what it should be like."

"You think if you had a demonstration of what it should be like then you would be better able to work towards it?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"I'll give you a demonstration," Seiichiro told him.

"What?" Amu questioned, astonished, "You're not a tenor."

"Neither is he," Seiichiro told her.

"But… that's different," Amu told him.

"If Ikuto sees that another person who isn't a natural tenor can do it, I'm sure he'll be inspired," Seiichiro said, "Anyway, I can trust you guys for the background singing right?"

"Yeah, sure," They said in unison.

Seiichiro extended both his arms out as far as they could go as he belted out the note.

_Let's DANCE!_

The others began singing at the same time.

_Dancing through life down at the oz dust if only because dust is what we come to._

The group began to trail off as Seiichiro held the note, his power only increasing as he did. He sung in perfect tune, at which Amu was amazed. He must have an absolutely amazing vocal range.

Everyone stared at him in astonishment as he continued to hold the note before he abruptly ended and breathed in.

"That was hard work…" He said.

"Hard work?" Yaya screamed.

"You made it look like it was a bloody cakewalk!" Amu told him.

"That… is what I mean…" Geraldine said, still amazed, "Why didn't you audition for the musical?"

"Well… there's not really a part that matches my voice. Well… not one I could get anyway," he told her.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked.

"Well, I'm a countertenor. My normal vocal range is equivalent to that of a soprano," he told her.

Gasps were heard, "Really?" Sakurai questioned.

"Yeah, I'll show you," he told them.

_Ooooh! _He sung in a high soprano voice. Everyone bar Amu looked in amazement.

"You are truly amazing," Hitomi spoke up, "Your vocal range is amazing."

He scratched the back of his head, "Well, thanks. This isn't about me, though. You guys still have a long way to go."

"Well, you guys can take a short break," Geraldine told them, "I'm gonna speak to Seiichiro for a bit."

They all walked over to the seats and sat down. Ikuto sat in the back, and Utau sat next to him. Amu, Yaya, Tadase, Rima and Yamada sat at the front. Hitomi and You approached them and Hitomi asked shyly, "Can we sit next to you?"

"Of course," Tadase told her.

"You're a strange one," Amu told her.

"Pardon?" Hitomi asked. She seemed to take it as an insult.

"No, I don't mean it like that!" Amu said adamantly, "I mean. As Madame Morrible you're so demanding and confident, but in reality you're really shy."

She blushed at this. Amu noted that Sakurai was sitting down next to Ikuto on the opposite side to Utau.

"Sorry, excuse me. I have a fight to fight," Amu told them as she got up. She began making her way up the stairs to the back of the auditorium.

"Hey Ikuto," Amu said sweetly. She acted as if Utau and Sakurai Yua weren't there, "Thanks for saving me a seat."

"What are you talking about? The seats are taken," Sakurai told her.

Amu sat down right on his knee. Ikuto smirked. Horror appeared on Utau's face.

"You bitch!" Sakurai yelled.

"You girls are shameful," They heard a voice say. The three girls turned around to see You standing in the aisle, "Aren't girls always rambling about how males objectify women in society. Even despite the amount of shitty males out there, I've never seen Ikuto do something like that. Yet, you women have no problem objectifying him so you can fuel your shitty bitch fights. Why don't you think about him?"

Everyone looked at him in shock. He had usually kept to himself. He then turned to Amu and spoke to her specifically, "Also, don't you have a boyfriend? Women always complain about how men always cheat, yet you have no problem straddling another guy as soon as your boyfriends gone for a while?"

Amu went silent, and all eyes fell to her. She got off Ikuto's lap, and walked out into the aisle, "Don't worry, my conscious is clear."

"Seriously!" He questioned, screaming, "You don't even have any regrets about blatantly cheating on him?"

"IF HE WOULD ACTUALLY REPLY TO ANY OF MY CALLS THEN I MIGHT HAVE MORE REGRETS!" Amu screamed as loud as she could. The auditorium was designed with good acoustics in mind, so everyone could hear crystal clear what she just said.

"What?" Yaya now asked, "What are you talking about, Amu? You talk to him every day on the phone. You go into your room and talk on the phone for like half an hour every single day."

"I've been leaving messages…" She told her, "He hasn't replied to me since the week of the auditions…"

Yaya hugged Amu tightly, "I'm so sorry, Amu. I should have realised. How pathetic am I? I live with you and I couldn't even notice."

"Don't blame yourself," Amu told her, "I did this so that you guys wouldn't worry…"

Geraldine, who had been able to hear every word due to the good acoustics of the auditorium, walked up the stairs to where the action was centred.

"Take the rest of the day off," she told them, "Freshen up. Next time we have practice, you all better bloody come looking like a new person, though."

* * *

><p>Amu had managed to escape any questions that Yaya had asked after they got back to their dorm. Sleep overcame her quickly that night, despite the amount of thoughts rushing through her head. She and Ami headed off to Easters training facility on Saturday. She knew she would have to talk to Ikuto in acting class, but her first port of call was to get in contact with the director of Easter. She dropped Ami off at the training facility, and then headed out to the main building of Easter which was a few minutes away. She walked into the main building and up to the administration desk. She noticed every path out of the room was guarded by at least one guard. They definitely had tight security.<p>

"Umm… excuse me. I'm Hinamori Amu, a trainee at Easter."

One of the office clerks began typing rapidly, "Yes, what would you like?"

"I'd like to arrange a meeting with the director of Easter," Amu told her.

The clerk began laughing, "Oh, I'm sorry. The director won't meet you. Not even any of us have met him. The only people he meets with are his highest supervisors."

"But, there's an Easter recruitment competition happening at the school I attend, it's extremely important that I speak to him about it."

"If you have to give him a message, I suggest you get in contact with one of his supervisors."

"Who might they be?" Amu asked.

"Well if you're in the training department the one you're in contact with the most is probably Mrs. Sanjo. There's also Nikaido and-"

"Nikaido?" Amu questioned.

"Yeah, he's one of the supervisors. Apart from that I can't help you, though. I'm sorry," The office clerk apologized.

Amu thanked the clerk and headed out of the main office. There was no possible way she could meet the director. What the hell could she do now? Easter was closing in on Seiyo academy. She couldn't just sit and watch. She had to tell Rima after she finished her training for the day. For now though she decided she would go to training as normal and act as if she knew nothing. This would be a much easier task while she was still on the inside. Plus, Easter still had hold over Ami.

* * *

><p>Amu's vocal class wasn't going too well. They were still practicing the long notes usually at the end of a song. He kept saying she didn't put enough emotion in. She had no idea what he meant, though. She belted out the note, pouring every emotion she had into the song. After her vocal class Amu made her way to her acting class. Ikuto and Sakurai were already there when she arrived. She had thought about what You had said, and he was completely right. The girls had used Ikuto as an object as they fought over him. They had been completely selfish. When Amu saw that the teacher was not in class yet, she quickly walked over to Ikuto.<p>

"I'm so sorry," Amu told him, "What You said yesterday was right. It was wrong of us to use you as an object to fight."

"Don't lie," Ikuto told her.

"I'm not lying! I'm really sorry!"

"Yeah, I'm really sorry, Ikuto. I'm sorry for you too, Amu," Sakurai spoke up, "I was an absolute bitch to you. I believed what those articles said about you. Now I know that they aren't true. You're a really nice person, and I'd like us to start over."

"Of course!" Amu said, "I thought you'd never ask. Considering we're acting as sisters, we should probably be able to get along."

"Yeah. Nice to meet you, my name is Sakurai Yua."

"Nice to meet you, my name is Hinamori Amu."

The two started laughing together as the teacher walked in. She explained the task was this time to pair up with someone the same sex and portray a beautiful friendship. Amu and Sakurai paired together. Amu found it one of the easiest tasks she'd ever had. The teacher praised them, and she told Amu that she had changed her mind. She actually did have some talent after all. Amu didn't get another chance to see Ikuto for the rest of the day.

* * *

><p>After training Amu dropped Ami back off at their dorm before she went to Rima's dorm. She knocked on the door and Rima opened the door.<p>

"Hey, I have some bad news," Amu began.

"Come in first," Rima told her as she stepped aside to let Amu in. After Amu entered Rima closed the door behind her, "So how'd it go?"

"Bad. Apparently the director only meets with the highest supervisors, Mrs. Sanjo and Nikaido."

"What…? How can we get evidence then?" Rima asked.

"I have no idea," Amu told her, "I think it's time we consult the other guardians."

"I guess we'll have to…" Rima said reluctantly.

"I don't understand why you're so reluctant."

"Well… I still have some trust issues," Rima told her, "But besides that, I just have a bad feeling about this.

* * *

><p>During Easter's training on Sunday Amu didn't have a chance to speak to Ikuto. After Amu dropped Ami off she made her way to school. As she arrived at the front gate she saw Seiichiro.<p>

"Hey!" Amu called out.

Seiichiro turned around when he heard her voice, "Hi, Amu. I'm so sorry about what happened with you and Kukai…"

"Oh, I'd rather just not talk about it. I have some more important things to focus on at the moment."

"There's nothing more important than love," Seiichiro told her, "Never backseat love to anything."

"Thanks for the advice," She told him.

At that moment an egg collided with Seiichiro's head. It smashed, and raw egg splattered all over Amu and Seiichiro.

"You gay fag!" A boy yelled out from a few metres away. He had blonde hair, and was going for a typical surfer boy look.

"What the fuck did you just say?" Amu screamed.

"You sing like a little girl, you pussy!" He screamed.

"Fuck off, you shithead!" Amu screamed at him, "Get out of my sight before I beat your ass!"

"You think you could take me on, you little girl. Why don't you get Kukai to protect you? Oh that's right, he **rejected **you!" The boy screamed.

Amu slowly walked up to him. The boy didn't back down. Amu grabbed his shoulders suddenly as she bought her knee up to his lower area. He recoiled in pain, as he almost fell to the ground, "Get out of my sight. I'm warning you."

He ran off, and Amu turned back to Seiichiro, "C'mon. Let's go to the toilet and get cleaned up."

Seiichiro just nodded as he followed her.

They both went into the disabled toilet. After they got in there, Seiichiro leaned against the wall as he held his hands to his face, "This is what I was afraid of… People would make fun of me because of my voice. Call me things like he just did. I hate that I sound like I do…"

"Don't you dare ever say that again," Amu warned him, "You are one of the best singers I have ever heard. Don't you even think about throwing that out the drain just because they are close-minded."

"Thanks, Amu," Seiichiro told her. Amu began to clean her face with a cloth she pulled from her bag.

"You carry a cloth around?" He asked.

"Yeah… never expected to have to use it in this way, though. I use it for cooking class."

After the two finished cleaning their faces they began to make their way to their class. When they arrived at block 11 Amu told him that her class was here.

"If they bully you again, just tell me, okay?" Amu asked him.

"Yeah. Thanks so much, Amu. You're really a saviour."

By the time Amu got into form class it was already half way through the period. She went up to Nikaido privately and explained why she was late. She found it hard to talk to Nikaido now, since she knew what he was up to behind the scenes. He excused her and she sat down in her seat.

"Are you alright?" Tadase asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Amu told him.

"I'm sorry about you and Kukai. I never knew Kukai was like that. I can't believe I ever considered him a best friend," Tadase told her. He obviously spoke a bit too loud since the whole class went silent.

"What…?" Amu asked.

"When he said he truly loved you, I believed him. The fact he would just abandon you like that. It sickens me. I don't even consider him a friend now," Tadase told her. The whole class was listening now.

"Tadase…"

"Don't say anything, Amu. And **this is a private conversation!** Stop eavesdropping!" He said, turning to everyone in the class.

Everyone quickly resumed their work.

"Okay everyone," Nikaido announced, "Since Amu just arrived in class, I'll repeat the announcement from the start of the lesson. By the way, I just received an e-mail with additional information on this topic. School photos will be held over all of week 9. Year 11s photos will be on Wednesday. Different clubs will have their photos on Friday. And the additional information I received is that the photographer has become quite famous recently. He originally photographed wildlife, however, has recently moved onto photography of people. Due to his experience with wildlife, people have called him an expert. His name is Tsumugu Hinamori."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Wow! So much happened this chapter! You might think that 'wow, Rima, Amu and Yua became friends so fast, that was unrealistic.' I did that on purpose. At the start of the story every time Amu became friends with someone it was like fireworks I guess. I wanted to show that sometimes things just happen, and there doesn't always have to be fireworks. **

**Ah! Amu found out about the keys. She was so angry! They didn't end up kissing, though. Guess she broke her promise to Tsukasa! **

**Easter's corruption is showing more and more! They plan a monopoly? How is Utau involved in all of this? Why do they want to take over the school so badly? **

**So, Kukai hadn't replied to any of her calls for the past few weeks! What the hell is going on?**

**Tadase, Kukai's longtime best friend, even hates him now!**

**Amu's dad will be the school photographer! How will that pan out?**

**Until next time.**


	18. Chapter 16: Innkeeper Chara

**Chapter 16: Innkeeper Chara**

After school Amu and Rima made their way to the royal garden. They had decided that during the student council meeting they would bring up Easter. Whatever they did, they would have to do it soon. It was already week 8 of the term. The two of them sat down next to each other when they arrived at the royal garden. Tadase spoke first.

"Are you alright, Amu. With your dad being the photographer?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Amu lied. She wasn't sure how she was going to deal with this. She hadn't seen him at all since he abandoned her. How would he treat her? Would he want her back? Would he hate her?

"Well, I don't mean to backseat your issue, Amu," Rima said, "But, Amu and I have another pressing issue to talk to you guys about."

"Yeah, this has to take precedence over the issue of my father," Amu told them.

"A long story short… Easter is super corrupt and they plan to take over the school and then, you know, the world." Rima said.

"What?" Yaya, Tadase and Kairi asked in unison, "Say again?"

"It's a long story. They're aiming to have a monopoly over every industry. Soon, they'll have more influence than the government. You know that audition? That's so that they have control over this school," Rima told them.

"Why do they want control over this school?" Kairi asked.

"Because Utau goes here. We don't know what it is about Utau, but they obviously want leverage over her," Amu told them.

"Umm… This seems a bit far-out…" Tadase added in.

"We're not done…" Rima told him, "Nikaido is working for Easter. We overheard a discussion between him and Utau. Utau is trying to resist Easter, but they have some sort of blackmail over her relating to Ikuto."

"Oh me gosh!" Yaya screamed excitedly, "It's just like in a story! Let's be the heroes and charge into Easter and kill the evil guy!"

"We can't exactly do that…" Amu said, "They have so much security. Plus we'd go to jail."

"Why didn't you call the police?" Kairi asked.

"Easter already has the power to silence the police," Amu told him, "The problem is the director of Easter doesn't let anyone meet with him except the highest supervisors. How can we bring them down?"

"We need Utau on our side," Tadase told them.

"What?" The others asked in unison.

"Why would they go to the extent of trying to exert control over our school just to have leverage over Utau? Obviously she's important for Easter. We need to get her on our side."

"How on Earth can we get her on our side, though?" Rima asked, "They already have control over her."

"No, they don't. She only thinks that they have control over her," Tadase told her.

"How can you possibly know that?" Rima asked him.

"Because if they already had control over her, they wouldn't be trying to take over our school."

"Oh! You're brilliant, Tadase!" Amu told him.

"Well, when we were listening to their conversation, Nikaido mentioned Ikuto," Rima told them.

"So, they are probably using threats against Ikuto to control Utau," Kairi told them.

"Yeah, threats that they can't carry out. That's why they don't really have control over her, but she thinks they do," Tadase added.

"Yes! You guys are brilliant. We need to show Utau that she's free. We need to show her that they can't carry out the threats against Ikuto. Her hatred for Easter will do the rest," Amu told them, "I'll talk to Ikuto tomorrow. Then he can talk to Utau."

"Why don't you try just talking to Utau directly?" Tadase suggested.

"It's too risky," Rima told him, "As long as she believes their threats, she'll do whatever they say. She loves Ikuto; she'll only listen to him."

The guardians celebrated at their plan.

* * *

><p>Amu arrived at school early tomorrow, since Ikuto was usually at school early. When Amu arrived at her form class she noticed that today was the first time she had arrived at form class and Ikuto hadn't been there. Tadase, however, was.<p>

"Hi, Amu," He greeted her.

"Oh, hi."

"We need to talk," Tadase told her.

"Sure, what is it?" Amu asked.

"It's about that day in the auditorium," Tadase told her.

"Yeah, I've forgiven you already. What is it?"

"No! You haven't forgiven me!" he yelled at her, "You say that you've forgiven me, but you haven't. You've been treating me so distantly lately. You don't trust me anymore."

"How am I supposed to trust you?" She yelled at him, "You knew that Kukai and I were as good as over, and you hid it from me? If you had told me, maybe I wouldn't have been so heartbroken when he stopped replying…"

"I'm sorry… I want to make it up to you. What can I do?"

"I just want to forget about Kukai. I want to forget about everything that happened," Amu told him.

"Do you remember what Nadeshiko sung to you before she left?" Tadase asked her.

"Sometimes goodbye is a second chance…" Amu said slowly.

"Yes. You deserve your second chance," Tadase told her.

"I do, but I don't know if I can forget him. Wow. I'm so pathetic. I only knew him for like a bit over a month, but here I am 2 months after he left and I'm still not fully over him."

"I'll help you," Tadase told her.

"What?"

"Go on a date with me."

"Uhm…" Amu was confused, but she blushed, "Sure, I guess. When am I ever going to have time, though?"

"Let's go afterschool on Thursday. Yaya can pick up Ami, and we'll make the most of it," Tadase told her.

"Sure, I'll need to go back to my dorm and have a shower and get changed first, though," Amu told him.

"Same," he told her, "Don't bother putting on any make-up or anything, though. You don't need it."

Amu smiled at his comment, "Thanks."

"How about I come around to your dorm at 3:45 then?" Tadase asked.

"That sounds great," Amu told him. The bell rang at that moment, and people began coming into class.

The guardians all kept looking at everyone coming through the door, waiting for Ikuto. 5 minutes after class had started had passed and he still hadn't come through the door.

"Maybe he's not coming," Tadase said to Amu.

"We can't think like that, we need him."

Tadase stayed silent at Amu's comment.

* * *

><p>Recess came around and the guardians met in the royal garden to discuss their plan.<p>

"I don't think he's coming today," Amu told them.

"We'll just have to wait until tomorrow," Rima told them.

"What if he doesn't come then?" Tadase asked.

"Then we'll wait until he does come," she told him.

"What if he doesn't come at all for the next 2 weeks?" Tadase asked again.

"I'm sure he'll be here at some point," Amu said.

"What if he isn't?"

"Why are you thinking so negatively?" Amu asked him, confused.

"Ikuto… why is it Ikuto… I just want to get away from him. I just want to live my own life, why do we always need to rely on him? Everything also revolves around him."

Amu hugged Tadase, "I'm so sorry. We didn't even think of you when we thought of the plan. Guys, maybe we should try just going to Utau."

"What?" Rima asked, astounded at what she hearing, "I'm really sorry, Tadase. I know you two have been through a lot in the past, but this is bigger than just the two of you. We're talking about the safety of people here."

"But Rima-" Amu began.

She was cut off when Rima started talking again, "No, Amu. I'm really sorry for you, Tadase, but Ikuto is the only way we have of stopping Easter."

"Really?" Tadase asked.

"Yes."

"How much do you really know about Ikuto?" Tadase asked again.

"What do you mean?" Rima questioned.

"I know Ikuto better than any of you. You were all wondering why Ikuto was pursuing Utau so bad, right? It's because of Ikuto. Ikuto is more deeply involved in Easter than any of us know. How do we know that he will help us? How do we even know that he won't betray us? It wouldn't be the first time."

"Tadase… do you know something about Ikuto and Easter that you haven't told us?" Amu asked.

"All I know is that there's more going on here than we know, and Ikuto is at the centre of it."

"Okay," Rima began, "With that in mind, perhaps we should come up with a way to get Utau on our side without going through Ikuto."

"Thanks guys," Tadase told them.

They continued discussing ideas until the bell rang signalling next class. The guardians all got out of their seats and made their way to their next class. Amu headed towards the oval since she had phys ed. When it came time to bid goodbye to Tadase, Tadase hugged her.

"I'm looking forward to our date. Thursday seems so far away," He whispered in her ear as he hugged her.

Amu smiled, but didn't reply.

When she got to the gym she got changed and headed out onto the oval.

"Who do you have a date with?" Yamada asked her.

"What do you mean? I don't have a date," Amu told him.

"Then who'd you have sex with?"

Amu almost choked on air, "What?"

"You're glowing. I can tell that you either have a date, or had sex."

"Wow… you're good," Amu said before lowering her voice, "Well. You can't tell anyone but I have a date with Tadase."

"Ooh, nice. You're go for the popular ones, ey? First Kukai, then Tadase. The other girls will be so jealous," he told her.

Amu fell silent after he mentioned Kukai. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned it."

"No, it's fine," Amu told him.

"Well, since its good looking guys, I guess I'm pretty soon on the list," he told her with a playful smile on his face.

Amu laughed at his comment, "Wow, you're pretty confident aren't you."

"With good reason."

Amu rolled her eyes, "Yeah, sure."

"Tell me I'm not hot then. Look me in the eyes and tell me I'm not hot," he dared her.

Amu's eyes avoided his face.

"Aren't you going to look me in the eyes?" He asked, knowing that he had her now.

"Okay, you're hot," she told him.

He put on a playful smile, "See, that wasn't so hard, was it?"

"I don't choose my guys based on looks though," Amu told him seriously.

"I know, I'm just teasing," he told her.

"Okay guys, I've correlated the results from every judge from the exam, and I've made overall scores for the class!" Mr. Anderson called out.

Everyone went quiet and payed attention.

"In the spirit of competition, I'm going to call out people's results, starting with the best, ending with the worst. First place was Yamada with a score of 85%."

Yamada cheered and pumped his fist into the air. Amu smiled at him, and he smiled back.

"2nd Place was Scott with 79%. 3rd Place was Daniel with 76%. 4th Place was Amu with 75%."

"Yes!" Amu shouted when she heard her name.

"Nice work," Yamada told her quietly as Mr. Anderson continued to read names.

"You too, you owned that exam," she said.

"Congratulations to everyone who did well and to those of you who didn't you have a chance to redeem yourself. In the last week of this term on Thursday we will be having an assessment; long distance running. It will be a 10 kilometre run; you will be given a mark based on your time. You can use these lessons to practice for it."

Amu smiled, "Long distance running. Now this is something I can do."

"Not really my strong suit," Yamada said, "But I rock at it anyway."

"Did you go in the 1500m for the athletics carnival?" Amu asked.

"Nah. I can do it, but it drains me so much. I'd rather reserve my energy for other events," he told her.

"Oh? Well I came 3rd at the athletics carnival," Amu told him.

"Kukai and Yaya beat you?" He asked.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" She asked him.

"Every time I've entered the 1500m, I always come 3rd. Every single time. Kukai and Yaya always beat me."

"Well, since neither of them will be in this race, I guess I'm going to come 1st," Amu told him.

"Don't be so sure. I'm pretty sure I can beat you."

"You wish."

"Wanna bet?" He asked.

"Oh, god," Amu replied, "Last time I made a bet I ended up dating Kukai. We know how that ended."

"Yeah, it ended well. If it wasn't for Kukai, you wouldn't have all the friends you do today. Although the two of you didn't end up well, you still came out a better person," he told her.

"That's true. You know a lot about me," Amu told him.

"I have been like you're only friend in this class since Kukai left. Plus we have English together."

Amu thought about it for a moment, she considered all the moments they'd shared together. "Yeah. Thanks for being such a good friend to me all this time."

"Well, what'll the wager be?" he asked.

"How about this; If I win you have to dress as a girl for a whole day."

"What?" He almost shouted.

"Okay, that was a bit rough. You'll only have to dress as a girl in front of the guardians at recess or lunch. How about that?" She asked.

"Well, sure. I only agree since I'm not going to lose anyway. When I win you have to write a love letter to a male teacher."

"You're on," Amu said.

The two of them trained hard during the lesson, neither one of them willing to lose.

* * *

><p>Amu was tired when she got back to the dorm that day. She collapsed on the sofa.<p>

"You're really tired?" Yaya asked her.

"Yeah. I was practicing long distance running 3rd and 4th period during my double period of phys ed. I'm so exhausted."

"Do you want me to go pick up Ami?"

"Would you do that?" Amu asked.

"Of course!" Yaya replied.

The two of them watched T.V for a while until Yaya went to pick up Ami. Amu decided she would rest in her bed for a while. She didn't even bother having a shower before she went to her room and, without even bothering to get under the covers, flopped onto her bed. She heard an 'oof' from under her as she fell onto the bed. Confused, she got up and pulled the covers down. As she saw a head she screamed and jumped away. The person under the covers pulled them off and sat up.

"Ikuto…" Amu said slowly.

"You're so noisy," he told her.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING IN MY BED?"

"Let me stay with you for a while," he told her.

"WHAT? ARE YOU FUCKING WITH ME?"

"No. Please, Amu," Ikuto said with a look of desperation on his face. Amu had never seen him more desperate.

"Unless you explain to me in absolute detail why you need to stay here, and it's a damn good reason, then absolutely not. Also, you will be responsible for convincing Yaya. Then **maybe **we'll let you stay in the spare room."

"No… Yaya can't know. Please, I just need to stay in your room."

"Absolutely not. I don't want a boy staying in my room, plus I'm pretty sure I could get expelled for secretly housing someone in my room."

"Amu…"

"No. Get out of here right now or I'll call the police."

Ikuto stood up with a sad look on his face, "Please don't tell anyone I was here."

He walked out of the dorm with that same look still on his face.

Amu tried not to think about him the rest of the night, but even while she was talking to Yaya and Ami, or while she was watching TV, and while she was having dinner she was wondering why did he want to stay with her. He had sounded so desperate, like it was **really **important.

* * *

><p>Amu left early to drop Ami off to Easter's training academy so that she could get to school early, in the hopes that Ikuto would be there. As she was walking back she realised that all she was thinking about was Ikuto, '<em>God, stupid asshole. Why did you have to sound so helpless?' <em>

As she walked back to her school she was snapped to attention when she heard some girls chatting.

"Oh my gosh. It was like something from a novel, the cool hero comes running through the scene, with a guy in a suit chasing behind him."

'_Oh my god. Why am I so obsessed?' _Amu thought to herself, _'Everything I hear is reminding me of you.' _

"He was so handsome too. His blue hair really suited him."

'_Blue hair? It couldn't be.'_

"Yeah, and he was well built too. Too bad they were running quickly so we couldn't get a good look."

Amu approached the girls, "Which way did they head?"

"Pardon?" The first girl asked.

"Which way did the boy with blue hair go?" She said again very seriously.

The girls both pointed in the same direction and spoke in unison, "That way."

Amu quickly ran off in the direction they pointed. Amu's eyes darted in all directions as she kept running. _'I must be going crazy. A lot of people have blue hair.' _After Amu had been running for what was probably 10 minutes she stopped and leaned over, trying to catch her breath. As she inhaled deeply she heard a groan from an alleyway nearby. She looked over and saw someone curled up in the alleyway. Amu quickly ran down the alleyway, not even thinking that it could be a trap, and saw Ikuto curled up in a ball.

"Ikuto!" Amu shouted.

His only response was a groan. Amu touched his forehead; he had a very high fever.

"You're fever is so high, I need to call an ambulance."

"No… get away…" His voice was so soft Amu had to struggle to hear him.

"What?" Amu asked.

"They… could… be watching. They can't… see you," he said, gasping for breath as if he was dying.

"Who? Who could be watching?" Amu asked him.

"Easter…"

"Okay, that's it. I'm calling an ambulance," Amu told him as she pulled out her phone.

"No… As soon as I go to hospital… they'll know where I am…" he said, his voice croaky.

"What can I do? You're lying here with a high fever and you are having trouble breathing? I'm worried!"

"Get away… if they see you…"

"This isn't a time to be worried about me! I'll bring you back to my dorm for now, but you'll need to go to the hospital eventually." Amu said as she stood up. When she looked back to Ikuto she saw his eyes were closing, "IKUTO?" She quickly kneeled down and held 2 fingers to his neck. She felt his pulse rushing, "Oh thank god. You're just unconscious…"

Amu turned around and lifted Ikuto onto her back. He was surprisingly light, but it was awkward carrying him on her back. Amu looked around every minute or so to make sure no one was following her. Although many people were giving her funny looks, no one appeared to be following her. As Amu arrived back at the dorm she looked at the time. School had started about 10 minutes ago. That was good; it meant that Yaya wouldn't be there. She opened the door and carried Ikuto inside. She carried Ikuto to her bed and laid him down. She prepared a bag of ice and sat it on his forehead, to which he recoiled and groaned.

"Shh… it'll help you," Amu reassured him.

He continued to roll around in his sleep for the next hour or so. Amu kept fixing the ice bag every time he rolled around. After an hour had passed and he hadn't awoken, Amu began to get worried, "Ikuto?"

There was no reply. Amu lightly hit his chest a few times, "C'mon… wake up…"

There was still no reply. She gave up for the time being, and she lay down in bed next to him.

"Is this what a mother would do to a sick child?" Amu asked. She ran her hands through his hair, "Wow… your hair is so smooth… Don't worry, Ikuto. Everything's gonna be okay…"

Amu rested her hands on his chest as her head fell onto his shoulder. Before she realised, she too had fallen asleep.

* * *

><p>Ikuto awoke first and as he opened his eyes he tried to identify his surroundings. When he looked beside him he saw Amu still asleep.<p>

"Amu…" He whispered to himself quietly, "You're an idiot."

He slowly shook Amu, and she shot awake, "Ikuto?"

"You couldn't wait 'til I woke up, you needed to get all over me while I was still asleep?"

"Shut up you idiot. I was so worried…"

"Thanks, Amu."

"If you're going to stay in my room, we need to establish a few things," she told him.

"I can't stay here now…" Ikuto told her.

"What? Why?"

"If anyone from Easter saw us together, you will be in danger."

"Oh please. I think the fact I'm trying to bring down Easter is going to put me in enough danger anyway."

"What…?" Ikuto asked.

"I already know about Easter's plans. My first question if you're going to stay with me is how are you involved with Easter?" Ikuto stayed silent for a moment. "Please, Ikuto. I want to help you. I'm going to go up against Easter whether or not you're with me."

"Okay, I'll tell you. I'm the heir to Easter."

"What?" Amu was astounded.

"Don't get me wrong, though. I don't intend to inherit Easter. It's the most horrible company that has ever existed. They're trying to force me to be the heir, though."

Amu was speechless.

"That's also the reason I was being chased today. I told **him **that I refused to be the heir, and he sent men to my dorm. I managed to escape my dorm, and that was when I came to yours."

"I'm so sorry," Amu said softly.

"It's alright, you didn't know."

"Okay; another question. Why did you come to me?"

"Wow, that's a stupid one," He said dumbfounded.

"What?" Amu was shocked at his response, "You're so mean. I saved you remember."

"Isn't it obvious? I came to you because you're the only one I trust apart from Utau."

Amu was silent for a moment, "That means a lot to me, Ikuto. Thank you… But why didn't you go to Utau?"

"That's where they'd expect me to go. Since I escaped they'll have a 24 hour watch on Utau."

"Damn. This is going to make things a lot harder."

"Make what harder?" Ikuto asked quizzically.

"Our plan to bring down Easter."

"Oh? What did you have in mind?" He asked.

Amu didn't even hesitate in telling him. Despite everything that Tadase had warned her of, she knew she could trust him, "Well… we want to record a tape of the director discussing his plan. It needs to be the director, though."

"Yeah. Well I guess you're in luck I'm on your side," Ikuto said, "I can meet with the director."

"No!" Amu yelled, "It's too risky. They're searching for you. They'll probably lock you up and do some horrible things."

"What other choice do you have?" He asked.

"No matter what you say, I won't let you do it," Amu said firmly.

"Why do you care about me so much? I mean, your friends all hate me, why do you care about me so much?"'

"Because when I look at you, I don't see 'the black cat of misfortune.' I see someone with a little sister that has a nasty past. I see someone that needs a friend. You remind me of myself, I guess."

Ikuto stayed quiet for a few seconds before he spoke up, "Would you be comfortable telling me about your past? You don't have to…"

"Umm…" Amu hesitated, "Only if you tell me about you and Tadase first."

"Ahh… Okay…" Ikuto was the one hesitating now, "Well, our parents were really close, so naturally, when we were both born, we were together a lot. We became best friends. At the end of the year Utau was born. The three of us were inseparable. It wasn't until we were 10 that it happened. Both our families discovered that my mother was having an affair with Tadase's father."

"Oh… I'm sorry…"

"I'm not up to the bad part yet," he warned her, "Well, both of our parents got divorced. My father left for Europe. I've never seen him since. Our mother took care of Utau and I. Tadase wasn't so lucky, though. Neither of his parents wanted him. After his grandma heard about how they treated Tadase during their divorce she took the house off them and raised Tadase. His grandmother was so kind; she let us visit him again. We hadn't seen him since the whole divorce issue had started. It had been about a year. We got really close again. Then one day when I went over to Tadase's house, he was getting changed in his room. Utau was out playing in the back yard with his dog. I went into the kitchen to talk to his grandma. I saw her collapsed on the floor, and there was blood all over the floor. Thinking that someone had attacked her, I grabbed a knife from the drawer and waved it around. At that moment Tadase entered the room. He saw me holding the knife, and his grandmother on the floor. Naturally, he jumped to a conclusion… Of course, when it was found that she died of natural causes, the case against me was dropped. Tadase refused to believe it this whole time, though. He needed someone to blame, and I was an easy scapegoat."

As he finished telling his story Amu wrapped her arms around him, "I'm so sorry, Ikuto. You've been living with such sadness all this time."

"It's alright; I've learned to live with it. Anyway, my mother was never the same since our father left. Soon after the incident with Tadase's grandmother, she was diagnosed with depression. My stepfather came along and took advantage of her depression. The two of them married, and my stepfather took over Easter as the director. Then he started training me to become the heir… Things continued like that for a few years and that brings us to today."

"Sorry…" Amu mumbled.

"As I said, I've learned to live with it. I don't mind if Tadase hates me for the rest of his life. At the moment, I just want to focus on bringing Easter down..."

"Yeah, you're right."

"That doesn't mean you're going to get out of telling me about your past, though," Ikuto told her.

Amu chuckled, "Don't worry, I wasn't going to try… Well, my story starts with my parents' divorce. During their divorce they stopped caring about Ami or I. They always fought, and we were just in their way. When they finalised their divorce, neither of them wanted to take us. We were kicked out onto the street. Fearing for Ami's safety, I gave her all of my food. After a few days, I collapsed out of hunger and exhaustion. When I woke up I was in a nice bed, and someone had served me food. We found out it was a nice man. We lived with him for a while, and we both fully trusted him. Then… he abused me."

"Oh, god…" Ikuto said to himself. Ikuto had a cold exterior; he always looked like he wouldn't be shaken by anything. When Amu told him that, though, he looked like he'd seen a ghost, "I'm so sorry…"

"Thanks… Well, anyway, I stole some money from him and we ran away. Ami and I lived on the stolen money for a while. Then, as we were running out of money, I began to look for some work. I came across Tsukasa, and this school. Then, I guess you know the rest of the story."

Ikuto looked so shaken after hearing her story, "I'm so sorry…"

"You're really vulnerable at heart, aren't you?"

Ikuto glared at her, "What? As if."

Amu just chuckled to herself, "Thanks again, Ikuto. Anyway, now that you've heard my story, you'll need to know the ground rules for living here. For reasons you will now understand, I'm a bit scarred when it comes to sex. There will be **no funny games **at all while you are sleeping with me."

"Sleeping with you?" Ikuto smirked as he repeated her words.

Amu mentally cursed, "Okay that was a bad choice of words. While you are inhabiting my room."

"Yeah, of course."

"Wow, you agreed so easily, considering the pervert you are."

"What? Pervert?"

"Yes, do you remember our initial encounter in the library? You were asking me to bloody sit on your lap. And then you start sleeping in my bed? Sounds like a pervert if you ask me." A look of hurt actually flashed across his face. Amu wondered if he took it seriously. He stayed silent, so Amu began talking again. She leaned her mouth close to his ear, "But that's the way I like it."

A shiver was sent down his spine as her hot breath came into contact with his ear, "You remember my weak spot…"

She pulled her head away now, "That's your dose of me for the rest of the time you're sleeping here."

"Aww," Ikuto said while pouting.

"But, I'm serious. No funny business."

"Okay… What about if you're the one that asks for it?" Ikuto asked her as he smirked.

"Trust me, that won't happen," She assured him.

"What if it does?" He said confidently.

"It won't."

"Also, I'm sure neither of us wants you to be discovered. The only time you will come out of my room is between the hours of 10am and 1pm. During that time you can shower, get changed, whatever," Amu told him.

"Okay. One problem, though. I don't have any clothes to get changed into…"

"Oh, god. I guess I'll have to go to your dorm and get some of your clothes?" Amu suggested.

"No. You can't go to my dorm, they'll have a watch on it."

Amu sighed, "Okay, I'll find you some…"

Amu looked at the time, "Oh god! It's already 2:30. I have practice for the musical today. I guess it's lucky you have an understudy."

"Damn…" Ikuto muttered to himself, "I hope we can get this sorted before the musical. I was really looking forward to it. Performing will always be my love, not running a company, especially not Easter."

Amu stayed silent for a moment, "I've decided. I'll sort this out before the musical, for you."

"Thanks, Amu."

"Anyway, you stay in here. I'm serious."

"Yes, mum," he said sarcastically. Amu poked her tongue out at him as she left to go to practice.

* * *

><p>When Amu arrived at the auditorium the others quickly ran up to her.<p>

"Why weren't you at school today?" Yaya asked.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine now. I was just feeling a bit sick after I dropped Ami off. I'm fine now, though. Let's get into practice."

"I like your determination," Geraldine spoke up, "Now, we need to keep working on your note belts. First of all, I want Yamada and Amu to perform 'Something Bad'."

"Why?" Rima asked.

"Because even though Yamada doesn't have a leading role, he has nailed the emotions of the song. When I hear him sing, I feel like it's real. That's what I want to feel from all of you. So take it away."

Yamada and Amu made their way to the stage and the music started playing.

**Yamada: **_I've heard of an Ox, a professor from Quox no longer permitted to teach who has lost all powers of speech. And an owl in munchkin rock; a vicar with a thriving flock forbidden to preach; now he only can screech! Only rumours, but still enough to give pause to anyone with paws. Something bad is happening in Oz._

**Amu: **_Something bad happening in oz?_

**Yamada: **_under the surface, behind the scenes, something baaaaaad. _Sorry, bad.

**Amu: **Doctor Dillamond, if something bad is happening in Oz someone has got to tell the Wizard. That's why we **have **a wizard.

_So nothing bad_

**Yamada: **_I hope you're right!_

**Both: **_Nothing all that bad_

**Yamada: **_Nothing truly baaaaad. _Sorry, bad.

**Amu: **_It couldn't happen here in Oz. _

As they finished Geraldine started clapping, "Thank you, Yamada. Do you guys all see the difference between his performance, Seiichiro's performance and your own?" They all nodded, "And where's Ikuto?"

A look of nervousness flashed across Amu's face. It was only for a second but Yamada, who was standing next to her on the stage, had noticed.

"He hasn't been at school for the past 2 days," Sakurai told her.

"Utau, have you heard from him?" Geraldine asked.

"No… he isn't in his dorm either…" Utau replied with a sad look on her face.

"Well, then, Scott. You're up," Geraldine told him, "I want this perfect, guys."

Yamada moved closer to Amu, "Do you know something about Ikuto?"

"Can I go to your dorm after practice?" Amu asked him.

"Sure…"

* * *

><p>After practice finished Amu asked Yaya if she could pick up Ami and she followed Yamada to his dorm.<p>

After they were out of earshot of anyone Yamada began to speak, "I have a dorm mate, Shouta. I'll drag you to my room, pretend that I'm taking you to… you know."

"What? Why's that necessary?"

"Unless you want him to ask about every detail of why you came, then it's necessary."

"Okay then…" Amu said reluctantly.

When they arrived back at the dorm, Yamada opened the door and, holding Amu's hand, dragged her into his room. As he walked past Shouta who was on the couch, he winked. Shouta winked back to indicate he knew what was going on. Yamada led her into his room and shut the door.

"Get on the bed," Yamada told her.

"What?" Amu yelled quietly.

"My bed creaks a lot… If he doesn't hear it creaking, he'll know we faked it."

Amu and Yamada both got on the bed, and, like he said, the bed creaked. They sat on opposite ends, and bounced up and down for a few minutes. After that, they stopped and Yamada began talking, "Okay, do you want to talk about it?"

"I can't really say anything about Ikuto… I'm sorry…" Amu told him.

"I guess there's something you need then? You wouldn't have come here for nothing."

"I was wondering… could I please borrow some of your clothes…?" Amu asked him.

"I guess it's for the same thing you can't talk about," he said, half as a statement, half as a question.

"Yeah…"

"Well, despite what you meant… that sounded **so dirty**…" Yamada told her with a smirk on his face.

Amu closed her eyes in embarrassment, "Oh, god. I'm so sorry."

"I'm not complaining," he told her, "You know, since we have to stay in here longer, or Shouta will get suspicious, can I tell you something?"

"Sure."

"Well, I liked you when you first moved to the school."

"What?" Amu asked, surprised, "Really?"

"Yeah…"

"But why? I acted like a total bitch to everyone…"

"Yeah, but I liked that you could stand up for yourself. I could see that even though you acted like a total bitch, you stood up for what you believed in. I admired you. I never really stood up for myself, or my friends. It took me a while to realise who my friends were."

"You wanna talk about it?" Amu asked.

He laughed, "There's not that much to say. I've come to this school since I was in year 1. I was in the foster system, and one of my foster parents sent me here to get rid of me. I was always the top of sports here. Then when Kukai came to the school, he beat me at everything. He acted so nice to me, but I hated him. I was so jealous. We got closer as friends, but I still always hated him. Then, one day we were talking about our crushes. He told me that he liked Nadeshiko…"

"He liked Nadeshiko…?" Amu asked slowly.

"Yeah, don't worry. This was ages ago. Anyway… I wasn't such a good person back then. I tried to steal Nadeshiko from him. I confessed to her, but I was rejected. She said she liked Kukai. Even though I originally just tried to get Nadeshiko because Kukai liked her, I really fell in love with her. That was the second thing Kukai stole from me. First, my pride at sports, and then my crush. I hated Kukai even more."

He continued, "Soon after that Kukai joined the dance club to get closer to Nadeshiko. One day after he joined the dance club, some guys cornered him as he came out of the dance room. They called him a gay fag for joining the dance club. They beat him up. Even though I tried to steal Nadeshiko from him, I don't hate myself for anything else as much as I do for this. I just sat there and watched him get beaten up… He didn't even try to fight back. He saw me standing there and just watching… Then, the next day he came up to me and thanked me. I was so confused; I had just stood there and watched. He said he was happy that I didn't join in beating him up… I broke down in tears then and there. After what I did, he was thanking me. That's when I realised that he was the best person that I'd ever known. I asked him why he didn't hate me. His only reply was 'why would I hate my friend.' That was when I realised he was a true friend. That was why, when he said he liked you, I abandoned my feelings for you."

Amu laughed as she heard Yamada tell his story. She could just imagine Kukai saying those things. After he finished, though, Amu thought to herself _'I wonder why he didn't tell me he used to like Nadeshiko?'_

"I'm sorry that I fell for Kukai and not you. You're really sweet. Well, now you are. I'm surprised Kukai didn't tell me he used to like Nadeshiko, though."

"I'm not sorry that you fell for him. Kukai deserved you after what I did to him. I don't deserve you. And yeah, I don't know why he wouldn't tell you."

But that was when Amu started to slowly put together the pieces of the puzzle. Before Nadeshiko had spoken to Amu about her crush. Amu closed her eyes as she remembered what Nadeshiko had said.

"_As much drama? Well let's just say that there's no way I'd ever be able to date that person… But, when that person is happy, it makes me happy. That's why I don't mind if we can never date, as long as I can see that person happy…" _

She had been talking about Kukai, she had to have been. And then Kukai and Nadeshiko **conveniently **left to a different state at the same time. _'Coincidences like that don't exist in this world…' _Amu told herself.

Then Kukai suddenly stopped talking to her… The pieces of the puzzle all fitted together perfectly. Yamada had just given her the corner piece.

Corner pieces are always pretty much necessary when you're putting together a puzzle. After you have it, though, the rest of the pieces pretty much fall into place.

Kukai and Nadeshiko had betrayed her.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: DUN DUN DUN!**

**Has the truth finally been revealed, or is Amu just misunderstanding everything? How will this betrayal change Amu? Will she revert to her 'ice queen' façade?**

**The plan to challenge Easter seems to be falling apart at every turn… Every one of their plans just goes wrong. How will this turn out?**

**Amu and Tadase are going on a date? What will happen? Remember that they still never tried the key & lock yet… **

**Ikuto is staying in Amu's room. (Just like in the anime/manga xD) Will this be the start of some very sexy scenes or just some arguments?**

**I actually think that Amu and Yamada's friendship is progressing nicely. Will it end up being more than I friendship, though? Is Yamada truly over her? (Yamada is actually one of my favourite characters in the story, so he'll definitely have some good plot lines!)**

**By the way, you'll be seeing more of Shouta! He's a one off character from episode 34 of the anime. I didn't really take his personality from the anime at all, but if you're wondering what he looks like then that's where you'll find his picture. Shouta is another one of my favourite characters, so he'll have some good plot lines as well!**

* * *

><p><strong>Unfortunately I'm absolutely SWAMPED at the moment since I have upwards of 10 assessments for school within the next 2 weeks ON TOP OF my year 12 exams in 3 weeks time… So I barely have ANY free time. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be releasing a new chapter for the next two weeks.<strong>

**I'm very sorry! Two weeks is a very long time and I hate to do this, but I really have to. Sorry about the spot I'm leaving you at as well, such a cliffhanger! At least this chapter was VERY long, so that makes up for it a little bit? I think this is one of the longest chapters in the whole story. **

**Very sorry, and I'll see you guys in 3 weeks! **


	19. Chapter 17: Scared Chara

**A/N: I'm baaccckk! Sorry, I took an extra week than I expected! We are now half way through Facades! I hope you enjoy this chapter. :D **

**Chapter 17: Scared Chara**

* * *

><p>"Kukai and Nadeshiko betrayed me…" Amu said softly to herself.<p>

"What?" Yamada asked, shocked.

"It all makes sense now. Your story helped me put together the puzzle pieces… They ran off together. I can't believe it. I was so blinded by my trust that I didn't even question myself when they both left to go to the exact same place at the exact same time… Maybe people are better off alone…"

Amu ran out of Yamada's room crying. Shouta looked from the couch, confused.

"She's not supposed to cry, I think you did something wrong, mate," Shouta said to Yamada.

"Yeah. I think I did something **really **bad," Yamada told him.

Amu ran back to her dorm. She was still crying as she entered the dorm. When Yaya saw her face she looked concerned.

"What's wrong, Amu?" She asked.

Amu ignored her, and she just walked into her room. By now, her face was covered by tears. As she slammed the door to her room closed she saw Ikuto get up from the floor on the other side of the bed. His face changed from tired to concerned in a moment when he saw her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked quietly.

"Why should I tell you?" She asked spitefully, "You can't trust anyone in this world."

"What happened?" he asked this time.

"I'M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU!" Amu screamed. Yaya, who was in the living room thought that Amu was screaming at her.

"Okay… I'm sorry Amu," Yaya told her through the door.

"Whatever," Amu said, brushing off her apology.

Amu turned to Ikuto before she began talking in a soft but firm voice, "I'm going to sleep now. You're going to lie on the floor, and you're not going to say one word. Got it?"

Ikuto simply nodded in response.

* * *

><p>Amu woke up early the next morning. She got breakfast for Ami and the two of them left early, and avoided Yaya. As they were walking Ami began talking.<p>

"Sissy… what was wong wast night?" she asked.

"It's nothing, Ami. I was just a bit tired."

"Sissy… we won't have to move again, wight?" Ami asked.

"What? Of course not," Amu told her.

"Yay! I made a nice fwend. She's awso my age. We have acting cwass together."

"That's good, Ami. I'm glad you made a new friend. I'm sorry I haven't asked you so far at all… do you like your new school?"

"Yesh! I've learned lots, sissy!"

"That's good, Ami."

'_Ami is the one that will always be here for me no matter what happens.'_

"Guess what sissy?" Ami asked.

"What?"

"I have a test today. I might go up in dance class!"

"Good luck, Ami!" Amu said cheerfully, "I love you."

"I wuv you too, sissy!"

After Amu dropped Ami off and started heading back towards school she wondered what she would say to the others to get them off her back. By the time she arrived at the school gates she was still early. As she walked through the gates she heard someone call out her name from behind. She turned around and saw Sakurai Yua.

"Hi, Amu."

Any thought that Amu had given to what to say went out the window. Instead of a planned sentence, she just let her words flow, "I can't believe all of a sudden you're acting so nice to me. First of all you're a fucking bitch just because you're jealous, and now you suddenly think we can become friends? You've got another thing coming. Don't even try to talk to me. You're not welcome anywhere near me."

"What…?" Sakurai said slowly. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Amu turned back around and kept walking. Yua was too stunned to say anything else.

As Amu arrived at her form class she was glad to see that no one else was there yet. She didn't feel like talking to anyone.

Tadase must have been running late that morning, as he didn't arrive until the bell rang. He took his seat next to Amu and said hi to her. Amu ignored him, facing the front.

"Hello? Amu?"

Everyone was in their seats by now, and Nikaido was about to start the lesson in a minute.

"Amu?"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Amu screamed, "God! You're voice is so bloody whiny. I don't know how I could stand listening to you every day. You sound like a dying cat!"

Tadase was so shocked he almost fell out of his chair, "What's wrong, Amu?"

"I JUST SAID SHUT UP!" She screamed again, "I can't believe I was so blinded by trust. I remember when I first came I said I was like the new toy in the box. First of all someone's interested, but then I get boring. After he fucks me up and breaks my heart he tosses me to the next one. Just like the last one, now you're gonna try fuck me up too, huh?"

The whole class was staring at her. Yamada, who was sitting a few rows behind the two of them let his face fall into his hands, _'I definitely did something really bad…'_

"Oh, and by the way," Amu began, "You can kiss our date goodbye. I'm never going to go on a date with you."

Tadase gulped, he was humiliated.

"Yeah, not so easy is it? You were all fine with saying that you'd rejected fifteen hundred girls, but when you get rejected, it's not so easy is it? Try a taste of your own medicine sometime."

Everyone remained silent for a moment before Nikaido spoke up and started giving his announcements. No-one dared to speak to Amu for the rest of the lesson. Amu's next class was maths. She was glad. Ever since the exam she was sitting in around about the middle of the class. Kairi and Ikuto, the only other people that she was friends with that were in that class sat at the very front. Not to mention Ikuto wouldn't be here today. After maths it was time for recess. Amu made sure to pack up quickly and left the classroom before Kairi had a chance to talk to her. She quickly left the building.

She didn't know where she was heading, she just wandered around. Anywhere the others wouldn't find her would be fine. Before she knew it she ended up at the planetarium.

"Ahh… I can never escape this place," Amu said to herself as she walked up to the door.

"Welcome to the planetarium," Tsukasa said as he turned around to face the entrance, "Ah, Amu! I haven't seen you in a while. How've you been?"

"Not great…"

"Of course. You wouldn't be here otherwise. Well, what's wrong?"

"What isn't wrong? My whole life is collapsing. First of all my boyfriend leaves to go to a different state. Then he stops replying to messages. As if it wasn't bad enough, I figured out the reason he did it."

"Oh? Why'd he do it?" Tsukasa asked sounding curious.

"He and Nadeshiko were in love right under my nose. I can't believe I was so stupid. And then, my dad is the bloody schools photographer that's coming next week. God. I feel like I'm just going to hit him if I see him. And on top of all this happening, people are expecting me to be able to save the world? I have enough issues of my own to deal with. Other people can deal with their own issues."

"Go on," Tsukasa told her.

"After everything that's happened to me in my life, how can people still expect me to be able to blindly trust them? Everyone I've trusted, everyone I've given my heart to… they've all taken it and stomped on it."

"Everyone? Really?" Tsukasa asked.

"Yeah."

"What about Ami?" Tsukasa asked her.

"That's different, she's a little girl. Children are the most dependable of all…"

"Okay then. What about Tadase?"

"Well-" Amu began, but was cut off when Tsukasa continued talking.

"Rima? Yaya?"

"Umm…"

"How do you even know that Kukai and Nadeshiko secretly hooked up?"

"Well, it's the only explanation."

"Only explanation my ass. You're just using this as an excuse to run away from your problems, Amu."

"What? No I'm not."

"Well, if you say it's the only explanation, what about if it was a coincidence?"

"Coincidences like that don't exist in the world," Amu told him firmly.

"Well, I like how you just happened to come across this discovery the night before your date with Tadase."

"That's a coincidence," Amu blurted out before she realised what she said.

"Coincidences like that don't exist in this world," Tsukasa told her firmly, mimicking her.

"Fine! Okay! So what if I'm using it an excuse to run away?"

"I understand, Amu," he told her, "You still love Kukai, don't you? You're still hurt by him leaving. You're afraid if you fall in love again the same thing will happen, aren't you?"

"How do you know me so well…?"

"Well, I was just like you once. Anyway, no matter what, you know that Kukai would never cheat on you. You know that in your heart as well as I do. Sometimes in this world there are things that we believe so strongly. Even if all the facts point otherwise, we know it's true. You know that somewhere out there Kukai still loves you. You know that, Amu."

"I want to believe that. I thought I knew that… but how can I? Each day that passes by I start to believe it less and less."

"Sometimes it's hard. You're an amazing person, Amu. You have amazing friends. When you find it hard, turn to them. They'll help you."

"How do I know I can trust them, though?"

"Well, I guess there's no way you can ever truly know. There is a saying, though. When you throw a boomerang, the real ones will always come back."

"Thanks, Tsukasa. You always know what to say."

"C'mon, let's go to the auditorium."

"Why?" Amu questioned.

"Some of the real boomerangs have returned there," he told her.

"At least it isn't stars this time…" Amu mumbled to herself.

Tsukasa and Amu left the planetarium and Amu followed him to the auditorium. When they arrived at the door, Tadase was standing in front of the door.

"Well, I'll take my leave now," Tsukasa told them.

"Milady," Tadase said to Amu as he bowed, "Take my arm."

Amu chuckled to herself as she connected her arm to his. He opened the door and led her down the stairs to the stage. She saw that Rima and Yaya were already standing on the stage.

"We were wondering, would you sing with us?" Rima and Yaya said in unison. Tadase unlinked his arm with Amu, and walked over to the CD player. He pressed play and the music started.

As soon as Amu heard the song start she knew what song it was. After all, they had been practicing it for the musical.

_I've heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason bringing something we must learn and we are led to those who help us most to grow if we let them and we help them in return.__Well I don't know if I believe that's true but I know I'm who I am today because I knew you. __Like a comet pulled from orbit as it passes a sun , like a stream that meets a boulder halfway through the wood. Who can say if I've been changed for the better__but because I knew you, I have been changed for good._

Amu had a tear in her eye as she prepared herself for her part.

_It well may be that we will never meet again in this life time so let me say before we part so much of me is made of what I've learned from you, you'll be with me like a handprint on my heart. And now whatever way our stories end I know you have rewritten mine by being my friend._

_Like a ship blown from its mooring by a wind off the sea, like a seed dropped by a sky bird in a distant wood, who can say if I've been changed for the better, but because I knew you, b__ecause I knew you, I have been changed for good. __And just to clear the air I ask forgiveness for the things I've done you blamed me for but then I guess we know there's blame to share and none of it seems to matter anymore._

_Like a comet pulled from orbit as it passes a sun. Like a ship blown from its mooring by a wind off the sea.__Like a stream that meets a boulder halfway through the wood. Like a seed dropped by a sky bird in a distant wood. __Who can say if I've been changed for the better, I do believe I have been changed for the better. __And because I knew you. __Because I knew you. Because I knew you __I have been changed... for good._

As the song finished Amu let her tears flow out. The three of them hugged her tightly. Amu knew who the real boomerangs were.

* * *

><p>Amu had told Tadase that she would go on the date. After school, Amu rushed back to her dorm to have a shower and get changed quickly. She forgot Ikuto would be in her room when she burst the door open.<p>

"Amu!" he yelled quietly, unsure if Yaya was home too.

"Don't worry, she's not back yet," Amu assured him.

"I wanted to apologize for last night," he told her.

"No, I should apologize. Well, anyway, we can talk about it more tonight. I'm going on a date now."

"Oh? Who with?" Ikuto asked, curious.

"Tadase."

"Oh, yes. We will definitely talk about it more tonight," Ikuto said eagerly.

Amu found his comment strange, but didn't have time to think about it, "Anyway, Yaya will be getting back soon, so get back into my room. I'm having a shower."

After Amu had her shower she got changed into her clothes. She wore simple brown shorts which came down to her knees. She had a long sleeve top on; it was hot pink with a white heart in the centre of the shirt. The sleeves were brown down to the elbow, and then baby pink down to her wrists. The shirt was made in such a way that it looked like the baby pink sleeves were a top worn underneath. She stepped out of the bathroom.

"How do I look, Yaya?" She asked.

"You're so cute!"

Amu looked at herself in the mirror, "No… I don't like the shorts. Actually, I don't like the whole outfit. I'm going to choose a different one. Amu quickly rushed into her room, and went to her wardrobe. She pulled out a few different outfits before Ikuto spoke from behind her.

"Can I give you some advice?"

"Sure."

"Simple is better for you," he told her.

"Like what?" She asked.

Ikuto made his way to her wardrobe and pulled out a white top. It was a white sleeveless top and had frills at both the neck and arms. At the bottom it puffed out similarly to a skirt. He then pulled out a pair of denim jeans.

"Thanks, Ikuto."

"Amu!" Yaya called out.

"Yeah?" Amu responded.

"Just get changed in there, then come out and show me."

Amu froze. She couldn't say no, Yaya would get extremely suspicious. Ikuto was frozen too.

"You better not look," Amu warned him.

He turned around. Amu slowly started to unbutton her pants, before looking at him again. As if he sensed she was looking at him, "Do you really think I would do something like that? I might act like a perve sometimes, but I would never do something a girl really didn't want me to."

He sounded really offended, "You're right. I'm sorry for doubting you, Ikuto."

She quickly got changed into her new outfit. She opened her door and went out into the living room, showing Yaya, "It's really cute, Amu!"

Amu looked in the mirror, it was pretty cute if she did say so herself.

"But you might get cold," Yaya told her.

"Oh… that's true. I'll find a cardigan," Amu said as she went back into her room. Ikuto was listening to their conversation, and so he pulled out a white cardigan which just had a single button in the middle and handed it to Amu as she walked into the room. She put it on, and looked down at herself.

"Thanks, Ikuto," she told him.

She walked back out and presented herself to Yaya, "You're really cute!"

"Thanks," Amu told her as she looked at herself in the mirror, "Okay I'm ready."

As if on cue, at that moment they heard a knock at the door. Amu walked to the door and opened it to see Tadase standing there. He wore black pants and a shirt that Amu couldn't see due to the fact he was wearing a jumper. His jumper was white and had vertical stripes.

"Tadase!" Amu said happily.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

She smiled before replying, "As ready as ever."

"You look really cute," he said.  
>"Thanks, so do you," Amu told him.<p>

"Shall we go?" Tadase asked her.

"Yes, let's," Amu closed the door as she stepped outside.

"So where are we going?" Amu asked.

"I hope you like it…" he told her.

"Just tell me where we're going."

"The aquarium."

"Ooh," Amu said as her eyes sparkled with interest.

Tadase sighed with relief, "Oh, good. I wasn't sure if you'd like the idea of the aquarium."

"Ah, don't worry its fine. Plus, try not to be so nervous on a first date. It's like this is your first time on a date or something," Amu said offhandedly.

Tadase's face froze for a moment when Amu mentioned that.  
>"Oh my gosh, it's really your first time?" Amu asked.<p>

He shyly looked away, "Yeah."

"Aww, don't worry. I'll take care of you," Amu told him and his face turned a deep red colour.

The two continued talking for a while until Tadase bought up Easter, "I don't know what we're going to do about Easter, though… With Ikuto missing, it's gonna be hard to convince Utau that Easter can't do anything to him."

"I have an idea, I think it'll work. I'll talk to her tomorrow," Amu assured him.

"Okay, I'll leave it to you. Oh, here it is," Tadase said as he pointed to a building which had 'Aquarium' written in big writing on the front.

"I would have never guessed," Amu joked.

* * *

><p>The two entered the building and Tadase payed for their tickets. They walked around, talking as they went. They went through the tropical enclosure. Amu loved the tropical enclosure since there were so many colourful fish. They also went through the Antarctic, shark and wacky enclosures. By the time they got to the end of the aquarium it was getting pretty late.<p>

"There's a nice seafood restaurant just next door," Tadase told her, "Do you like seafood?"

"Love it," Amu told him.

The two made their way next door and got a table for 2. They continued to talk as they had dinner. They talked about various topics, and they really got to know each other better.

After they finished eating Tadase payed for the bill and the two of them left the restaurant. Tadase dropped Amu back off at her dorm.

"How was the date?" Yaya asked eagerly as Amu stepped through the door.

"It was really nice!" Amu told her.

"Ooh! Details, details."

Amu thought about Ikuto. She had promised him they would talk when she got back, "Sorry, Yaya. I'm really tired. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow."

"Oh, okay."

As Amu entered her room she saw Ikuto was sleeping on her bed. She rolled her eyes as she made her way over to him and poked him. He slowly opened his eyes.

"Ahh. Welcome back, how was your date?"

"It was really nice! Tadase was so sweet!" Amu told him. Ikuto was about to talk when Amu continued. She began to relay all the events that took place that night. After she had finished, which took a while, she asked Ikuto what he thought.

"What do I think?" Ikuto asked quietly, "That was the worst date ever."

"What?" Amu whisper-yelled, "Why?"

"From what you just explained, it sounds like you went on a date with your little brother."

"What do you mean?" Amu asked him.

"Everything you're describing, even the way you're describing him, it sounds like you were babysitting you're little brother for the day."

"No!" Amu was vehement in her response, "It was really a good date."

The two of them were sitting on opposite sides of her bed. Ikuto slowly crawled over to her side, and pushed her down onto the bed. He lowered his mouth to her ear as he whispered, "Did he make your heart beat like it is right now?"

Amu hated that he knew her weakness. She took a deep breath to try to regain herself as she confidently told him, "My heart isn't beating right now."

Ikuto positioned his knee so that it was right in between Amu's legs. He slowly began to push it close to her thigh. Amu inhaled sharply through her nose to try to calm herself down. Ikuto pushed his face close towards her chest and put his ear so that it was touching her middle area.

"I can hear it beating," he said confidently as he smirked.

Amu pushed him off, "Okay, you win. You're hot, you're sexy. You make my heart beat, whatever. What's your point?"

"My point is that when you're on a date, you heart should beat. You should feel in love. You didn't feel in love on your date with him."

"You don't know anything," Amu defended, "Besides; it was only our first date."

Ikuto resigned, "Well, okay then. Don't say I didn't warn you though; it isn't going to work out."

"Whatever, I'm tired. Can you turn off my bed, turn on the light and get on the floor?"

Ikuto stood up and he made his way to the light switch. Before he turned it off he turned to Amu and pouted, "Do I have to sleep on the floor?"

"Yes," Amu replied flatly.  
>"But it's so cold on the floor… I feel like I'm going to get hypothermia in the middle of the night."<p>

"Too bad, I'm not letting you 'create heat.'"

"I didn't mean it like that," Ikuto told her honestly, "But, if you really want to…"

"Whatever, I'm dating Tadase now. I'm not sharing a bed with any other guy, especially his worst enemy."

Ikuto stayed silent, uncomfortably so. He switched off the light and lay down on the floor on the opposite side of the bed, to avoid anyone seeing him if they walked in. Amu wondered why he went quiet all of a sudden, but decided not to question it.

* * *

><p>When Amu arrived at form class the next morning Tadase was already in class. As he saw her enter a smile flashed upon his face.<p>

"Amu!"

"Hi, Tadase," Amu said sweetly.

"I had a lot of fun yesterday."

"Me too," Amu assured him.

"Umm… I was wondering where we stand…" Tadase said quietly.

"Oh. Where do you want to stand?"

"Well, I'd like it if we were officially dating…"

"Well then, are you going to ask the question?"

Tadase gulped as he looked in Amu's eyes, "Hinamori Amu, will you go out with me?"

It's funny how much the human brain can process and decide in just one moment. Amu wasn't sure if it was her heart or her brain that was processing all of this. Just a moment ago, Amu had fully intended to say yes.

In that moment, though, everything Ikuto said came rushing to her. She realised it was true. She remembered her first date with Kukai, when she had gone to his dorm to do homework together. Even though it wasn't a real date, before it even started she had been so nervous. Her heart was pounding just at the thought that he didn't reciprocate her feelings.

She didn't feel that way at all with Tadase. When she found out that Kukai felt the same way, she felt as if an enormous weight had been lifted off her shoulders. With Tadase, she felt nothing. She didn't feel relieved. She didn't feel **in love**. She knew that she couldn't date Tadase. It would end in failure. She had decided all of that in just a moment.

Just as Amu wasn't sure whether her heart or her brain had decided all of that, she wasn't sure if her heart or her brain was responsible for what she said next.

"Yes, I will go out with you, Tadase."

* * *

><p><strong>The whole betrayal thing was very anticlimactic! Were you expecting it to be resolved so quickly? Poor Yamada was feeling so guilty T_T <strong>

**Amu realised she isn't in love with Tadase, but now they're going to start dating? How will this turn out? **

**Remember that Tadase and Amu still haven't tried the lock & key yet! How will it turn out when they try it?**

**Anyway, sorry for taking an extra week. See you all next week!**


	20. Chapter 18: Girlfriend Chara Part 2

**Chapter 18: Girlfriend Chara Part 2**

Tadase's face lit up when Amu said yes. He hugged her, and Amu hugged him back. She didn't know what made her say that. At that moment the door opened and Utau walked through the door. She had her hair down, and wasn't wearing any sunglasses.

A look of shock passed Amu's face, "You're not in your disguise?"

"What's the point? My true identity's gonna be revealed anyway."

"Why?" Amu questioned.

"You didn't hear? Everyone that's currently in Easter is gonna perform at the audition as an opening act. We have to decide what song we're all going to sing," Utau told her, "We're gonna meet at recess today in the auditorium."

"Oh, okay. Who else is in Easter?" Amu asked.

"It's just us, Seiichiro Suzuki, Sakurai Yua and… Ikuto."

"I don't think Ikuto will be coming," Amu told her.

"I had that feeling. I need to talk to you about that, as well," Utau said seriously.

"I wanted to talk to you, too. How about at lunch?" she suggested.

"Sure."

"Let's meet at the royal garden."

The two didn't have time to talk anymore as the bell rang and Amu knew that students would come rushing into class. Amu returned to her seat and sat down next to Tadase. The two smiled at each other.

One student came through the door, but she paused and blocked the doorway.

"What's the hold up?" Someone behind her asked.

"Hoshina… Utau…"

Hearing the name of an idol, people pushed past her and into the classroom.

"Why is Utau here…?"

"I've been in your class the whole time, idiots. How many people are called Utau, it's not that hard to figure out is it?"

"I'm so sorry I was ever mean to you," one of the girls said to her.

"Whatever, I'm not looking for fake friends who want to befriend me since I'm an idol. Just leave me alone and get out of my face."

"Wow, so cold," the girls mumbled.

Nikaido cut in, "Time is running out. Soon, all hope will be lost."

The guardians and Utau sat up straight as they heard this. Other students were confused as to what he was talking about.

"You better act quickly, or you've lost… I'm talking about your reports, of course. Reports will be given out at the end of next week."

The other students in the class made an 'ohhh' noise in unison. Amu and Tadase looked at each other gravely, though. They knew his secret message.

* * *

><p>Recess couldn't come around fast enough. Amu was desperate to talk to the others about what Nikaido had said, but they obviously couldn't talk about it during class. They may as well say it over loud speaker. Everyone had been staring at Utau, but no-one was willing to say anything to her. Amu made her way to the auditorium and the others were already waiting for her when she got there.<p>

"Hi, Amu!" Yua said nicely.

"Hi. How are you Utau?" Amu replied.

"I'm fine. Why shouldn't I be?"

"I can only imagine the pressure," Amu told her.

"Not really, it feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Now I only have one big weight left…"

Amu knew what she was hinting at. Suzuki started speaking, "Well, I don't mean to interrupt but we should talk about the song we're going to sing. We need a song that every single one of us can connect to emotionally."

"You're right," Yua told him, "We should first just say the message we want to sing about."

The three of them froze up. There was a silence before Suzuki began talking again, "No, she's right. We're all friends here. We can talk about it."

"Yeah. I'll start it off," Yua told them, "I want to show people that I'm a talented singer. I don't like to admit this, but I'm really insecure about my singing. Even though I'm a trainee at Easter, I've only graduated modelling. I'm still in the 15th class for singing… I want to show people that I really can sing; I'm not just a pretty face."

The three nodded at what she said and Suzuki began talking again, "Well. I want to show people that I'm not afraid of what they say about me. I'm going to embrace my voice. They can throw as many eggs at me as they want, I'll get back up and sing."

There was a pause before Utau began talking, "I want to show a certain group of people that I can't be blackmailed. I won't just idly sit by and do their bidding. I'll stand up for myself, and I'll fight them."

The three of them turned to Amu, and Amu looked at the floor. She thought about a person she wanted to give a message to. As soon as she thought about it, one name popped into her mind, Hinamori Tsumugu.  
>"I want to show a certain person that he can't just come back and think everything is fine. I want to show him that I'm fine living without him, and I don't want him back."<p>

The others smiled at her and Suzuki began talking, "Well, now we need a song that embodies all of these feelings."

"I think I know the perfect song," Amu told them.

After they agreed on the song and ate their recess, it was time for next period, so Amu didn't get a chance to talk to Utau. She would have to wait until lunch time. Amu made her way to the gym for her next class, sport. She got changed and made her way out onto the oval.

"Hey, I hope you're staying fit," Yamada said to her.

"Fit enough to whip your ass," Amu told him.

Yamada smiled, "I wonder if we could talk while we jog around the oval? Mr. Anderson told us to warm up by ourselves."

"Sure."

The two of them began with a slow jog and Yamada began talking, "I'm sorry about that time at my dorm…"

"Oh, no. I should apologize. I can't believe I put you in that position."

"No, it's fine. I want you to know, though, Kukai would never do that to you. As I explained in my story, he is one of the nicest guys I've ever known. He's nothing like me."

Amu smiled to herself, "I know that Kukai didn't do it. Don't talk about yourself like that, though. You're a wonderful person. I know you're ashamed about your past, and I'm not sure what you were like exactly in your past but I know what you're like now. I know that my friend Yamada would never do that to a person either. You're really sweet, and I'm so glad you're my friend."

"Thanks, Amu. Anyway, how are things going with Tadase?"

A look of guilt flashed across Amu's face as she remembered what had happened that morning.

"Uh oh. That didn't look good."

"How can you just read me like a book?" Amu asked him.

He chuckled to himself, "You wanna talk about it?"

"Well, can I say no?" Amu asked sarcastically.

"Of course not, you know you want to get it off your chest anyway."

"See, you know me so well… Well, I'm gonna talk to someone else about something important at lunch, so I don't know when we'll have a chance to talk."

"Well, you never ended up getting the clothes off me. I'm sure **someone **is gonna be in desperate need of clothes by now."

"Oh, god. I totally forgot all about that. Can I come to your dorm after rehearsals today?"

"Of course. We won't even have to pretend that we're having sex this time. I'll tell Shouta I'm making up for making you cry last time."

"Oh, thank god," Amu said, relieved.

They finished their jog around the oval and began stretching. After they finished stretching Mr. Anderson began talking to the class.

* * *

><p>When lunch time began Amu made her way to the auditorium. When she arrived Utau wasn't there yet. She shrugged it off and sat down in one of the seats. About a minute later Utau walked through the door and sat next to Amu.<p>

"Let me start," Amu said.

"No, let me. Look, I don't care where he is. I don't care what you're doing. Well, that's a lie, I do care. I know that you won't tell me," Utau began; her voice was sharp and a matter-of-fact tone.

"Umm…"

"I know you won't tell me, so I won't ask. I just want to know one thing."

"What is it…?"

A look of concern passed over Utau's face before she continued, "Is he okay?"

"Yes."

A sigh of relief came out of Utau's mouth, "Oh, thank god…"

"Well, it's also Ikuto I wanted to talk to you about. Since you know he's safe, and Easter can't possibly get him, you know that they can't blackmail you."

"Yes, I know."

"Then you need to stand up to them."

"Of course, didn't you hear my reason for our song choice? I'm not going to let them push me around."

"In that case, would you like to co-operate with me and the other guardians? We're planning on bringing Easter down."

A smirk crossed Utau's face. It was the exact same smirk Amu was used to seeing on Ikuto's face, "Sure.

"Well, first of all I was wondering… why is Easter going to such lengths to have control over you?"

She paused for a moment before replying, "They want me to be their symbol. They want me to use my singing to help them have power. That's not the reason I began singing. I sing to make people happy, not to control people."

"Oh… that might help us actually. We were planning on recording the director talking about his plan. If we can get a voice match, something like that can't be refuted in court since it's basically a confession."

"Well, that should be easy. I mean, as a singer I have access to all kinds of recording instruments. I have the top of the line sound recording devices. I can take one and it will produce crystal clear sound quality. I should be able to run it through the device at Easter and get a 100% voice match."

"Who knows how to use the equipment, though?"

"Are you joking? I do. I do the editing of every single one of my songs. I don't need to know how to use it that much since I don't like to autotune my songs at all. I think singing should be about just that; singing."

"Wow, you're a really inspirational person, Utau."

She averted her eyes, avoiding the compliment, "Well, as Nikaido said in class today, we're running out of time. If we're going to stop the audition, we'll need to act really soon. Even with my connections, it will take at least a week to get a court hearing. I guess I'll try tomorrow."

"Really?"

"Of course. Don't think this is because I'm going to be friends with you and your little guardians. I'm doing this for Ikuto and myself."

"Of course," Amu said. She was still smiling, though. They had Utau on their team. They would definitely be able to bring them down now.

"Oh, and you can come out from around the corner," Utau said.

"What?" Amu said, shocked.

Amu was relieved to see the guardians come from around the corner.

"You caught us," Tadase said shyly.

"I knew you were there from the start. Working for Easter, you get this sort of sense. I knew it was just you guys, though, so I wasn't worried."

"Good work, Amu!" Yaya said excitedly, "Now that we have Utau we can't lose!'

"Welcome to the team, Utau," Kairi said as he pushed his glasses further up onto his face.

"Oh, god. Please don't compare me to the likes of you. As I said, I'm not doing this for you guys."

They smiled regardless.

* * *

><p>After rehearsals Amu made her way to Yamada's dorm. When she knocked on the door it was opened by Shouta who was wearing only his boxers. Amu averted her eyes when she saw, but she couldn't help but notice well built body before she turned away.<p>

"Oh god, I must be losing my touch. I don't think I've had a girl turn away before…" He said slowly, sounding depressed.

"Oh god, Shouta. Put some clothes on before you answer the door next time," Yamada said as he came out of his room.

"Didn't expect you'd have a girl coming over, especially not the same one you made cry. You have to remember to go gentle when it's a girl's first time."

Yamada rolled his eyes, "Yeah, she came so we could make things good again."

"By the way, Amu, don't worry, I won't tell anyone you came over. I heard that you're dating Tadase now, it could hurt your rep. I dunno what everyone's deal is with cheating. I mean, human nature isn't to be monogamous. Why should we just totally ignore human nature?"

Amu rolled her eyes, "Gee, thanks. I'm glad Yamada has such a nice roommate."

"Oh, god. Come into my room, Amu. Let's get you away from this guy," Yamada said desperately.

"Yeah, sure. You two go and have fun. Just remember Amu, if you're ever looking for a good time… I'm one of the most experienced in the school. I'll definitely treat you well," Shouta told her as the two of them walked into Yamada's room.

When they got into his room Yamada shut the door.

"Oh god, I'm sorry for his behaviour… and his dress code…"

Amu smirked for a moment, "As you told me last time I was here, I'm not complaining."

"Well, I guess he is hot," Yamada said offhandedly.

"Woah, sister!" Amu said, "That was a bit casual… have you been hiding something from me? You know I don't discriminate against gay people. You can tell me if you are…"

He rolled his eyes, "I told you I used to like you, remember?"

"Oh, that's right. Bi then?" Amu teased.

"Not at all. I didn't mean he's hot in an 'I'd tap that' kind of way. I meant it like 'I wish I had his body' kind of way."

"Ohh…" Amu said, realising what he meant, "But, please. With Kukai gone, you're like the number one stud of the school. Besides, you have a better body than him. Oh, and I mean that in an 'I'd tap that' kind of way."

Yamada smiled, "Yet, I've never even been able to get a girl to like me. Every time I have a girl in my room we pretend to have sex. Shouta **actually** has a new girl in his room every week. I think that speaks for itself."

"Yes, it does. It says that you're waiting for the right girl. That's admirable. I don't think manhood is measured by how many women you can sleep with. I would never sleep with someone like him. I think manhood should be measured by how successful you're going to be in life. I can tell you right now, if what you say about him is true, you'll be more successful than him in life."  
>"Thanks, Amu. Anyway, this isn't about me. You have something to spill."<p>

Amu looked towards the floor, "Well, he officially asked me out this morning."

Amu stayed silent for a moment so Yamada spoke, "Keep going."

"Well, things came clear to me in that moment. I didn't really love him. It was nice to go on a date with him, but it was more like as a friend, not as an actual date."

"Oh, I bet he was crushed…"

"Well, that's just it. In that moment I decided I would say no. Then, I said yes. I have no idea why…"

"Oh, god. That's bad…"

"Yeah… I don't know how to break it to him."

"Wait a bit at least. I would be crushed if a girl said yes then she changed her mind straight away. I think if you wait about a week it should be good? Just explain that you think you like him as a friend more than as a partner. A week should be a good amount of time. That way you'll still be able to stay friends."

"Thanks. Getting a guy's advice is so helpful. Well, I better take my clothes and leave."

Yamada got up and went to his wardrobe, "Don't get too obsessed with my smell," He joked.

Amu rolled her eyes, "Yes, I love the smell of B.O."

He stayed silent at this comment as he pulled clothes out of his wardrobe.

"Burnt."

"Yeah, whatever. Anyway, these should all fit him."

"Thanks. You're a life saver," Amu told him.

They said their goodbyes and Amu left his dorm. After Yamada shut the door Shouta began talking.

"No dirty stuff today?"

"She's dating now, dude. That's not cool."

"Not cool? More like double points."

Yamada rolled his eyes, "I'm not into shit like that."

Shouta rolled his eyes too, "You're obviously a virgin."

"Whatever man, you know I'm not."

* * *

><p>When Amu got back to her dorm she quickly went into her room to drop the clothes and her bag. She then came out and talked with Yaya and Ami for a while.<p>

"Thanks for picking up Ami today, I had some stuff to take care of," Amu told her.

"It's alright. Now you have to tell me about your date with Tadase yesterday. You haven't talked to me about it yet."

Amu chuckled, "Okay then. Let's cook dinner while we talk about it. Ami, you can go watch T.V for a while."

Amu relayed the story of their date, and Yaya squealed a few times, "Oh mi gosh. You guys are so adorable!"

"He asked me out this morning before form class started."

"You said yes, right?" She asked, still hyper.

"Yeah, of course," Amu told her.

"Wow. You guys will be the new 'it' couple of the school."

"The 'it' couple?" Amu asked, confused.

"Yes, it means the most well-known couple in the school. It was you and Kukai before. Before that it was Yua and Josh."

"Oh. Is Yua that well known in the school?"

"Yes, of course. She is a famous model after all."  
>"What?" Amu questioned with shock apparent on her face.<p>

"You didn't know she was a famous model? She's done modelling for a lot of famous brands such as Sony and Coca-Cola."

"Oh, wow! She's amazing…"

"Yeah, I know. There are so many people who've done amazing things at this school. There's even another guy in year 12 who has some of his art work in the art gallery. I don't know who he is, though. I wish I was amazing like that."

"You are amazing like that, Yaya. Not many people can sing soprano like you can."

The two of them smiled before Amu called out, "Dinner is ready, Ami."

"Oh, excuse me a minute, I've gotta get something from my bag," Amu told her as she took her plate with some food to her room.

"Oh, sure."

As Amu got into her room she quickly closed the door, "I've got some food for you. Get the plastic plates quickly."

Ikuto quickly went into her cupboard and found the plastic plates. Amu took some food off the plate and pushed it onto the plastic plate. Ikuto got a plastic knife and fork out of her cupboard, "Enjoy it."

"Thanks, Amu," Ikuto said to her.

Amu reached into her bag and got out of her file, it would be suspicious if she came out of her room with nothing. She left her room and went back to the table.

"Why do you need your file?" Yaya asked her.

"I have a maths assignment I have to do tonight," Amu told her.

"I'm gwad I don't do maths anymore!" Ami told them enthusiastically.

The three smiled at each other and began to eat dinner.

After they finished their dinner Amu excused herself; she told them she would work on her maths assignment in her room. When she made her way back into her room she closed the door quickly and Ikuto began talking to her.

"I'm guessing Tadase asked you out officially today?" He asked.

Amu stayed silent for a moment, "Yeah. I realised you were right. I don't love him."

"Good," Ikuto began, "Even though Tadase hates me, I still think of him as a little brother. I don't want him to be hurt."

After Ikuto said that, Amu decided not to tell him that she had said yes regardless. Instead she changed the subject, "Well, I actually have a maths assignment to do. Since you're like the 2nd top of maths in year 11 do you think you could help me?"

"Are you asking me to help you cheat, Amu?" Ikuto asked playfully as he smirked.

Amu understood the innuendo, "You're a pervert. And no, I'm not asking you to help me cheat. I just want some guidance on what to do."

"Yes, sure," he said sarcastically.

* * *

><p>The next day Amu and Ami were up early, so they had breakfast and made their way to Easter's training academy early. Amu was dying to find out how Utau went. Would the director discuss it with her freely?<p>

Meanwhile, Utau who was outside Easter's main building was just as nervous. Gathering up her courage, Utau marched into the main building and up to the administration desk.

"I need to see the director," Utau told one of the ladies firmly.

"I'm sorry, but the only ones who can see the director are the supervisors, so you don't have the clearance."

"You must be new here, so I'll take it easy on you. I'm Hoshina Utau, and I have level 5 security clearance in this building. That's equivalent to the supervisors. So if you don't mind, I'll be going now," Utau said to her as she walked away from the administration desk and past the security guards. She made her way into the elevator and selected the top floor. The elevator began to rise slowly. As the elevator rose higher and higher, Utau got more and more nervous. As it kept rising, she closed her eyes and slapped both her cheeks simultaneously, "You'll be free soon, Utau. There's no need to be nervous."

She shook her body and her nerves seemingly disappeared. She quickly turned on the sound recording device she had in her pocket. The door of the elevator opened and Utau stepped out onto the director's floor. She made her way down the corridor to the door into the director's office. There were 2 security guards in front of the door.

"I'm Hoshina Utau," she told them.

They stepped aside and Utau made her way through the door. As she made her way through the door the director looked up from his desk. Utau walked up to the desk until she was standing just in front of it. She looked him in the eyes. He had a truly evil face. It was made for intimidation.

"Welcome, Hoshina Utau, you work for Easter, don't you?" he asked her.

"Yes, of course I do," she replied as she bowed politely. She was confused by his question, however.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" he asked.

"I was wondering… why do you want to take over the all of these companies?"

"Because I want power, of course."

"Do you really think you can succeed?" Utau pressed.

"Yes, of course," His voice was unwavering.  
>"How?"<p>

"Well, you're going to be our symbol. We already have the power to silence the police. We're going to take over every imaginable company; we'll have a monopoly over every industry. No-one will be able to fight us. After this country, it's only a matter of time."

"I won't use my singing for something like this," Utau told him adamantly, "I learnt to sing so I could make people happy, not to control people. This plan won't succeed."

"You think you're so smart, don't you?" he asked, "You're not really. You are still a little girl. I have some of the brightest working for me, anything you try there will be a legal loophole. We'll find it. You really have no idea."

Utau scoffed, "We'll see."

She turned around and began to leave.

"Goodbye, Utau," he said to her.

She smirked, "Goodbye is the right word."

"Yes, it is indeed."

* * *

><p>As Amu and Ami walked into Easter's main building Utau stepped out of the elevator.<p>

"Utau!" Amu yelled.

"HOSHINA UTAU?" Ami screamed, "OH MI GOSH! IT'S WEAWWY HOSHINA UTAU!"

Ami ran past the guards and hugged Utau. Shocked, the guards quickly turned around.

"It's alright," Utau told them, "I know these 2. Come this way, Amu."

The security guards calmed down and resumed their position.

"Hi, Ami," Utau said kindly.

"I wuv you!" Ami yelled, "You're my idol."

Amu smiled, "See, Utau. You're songs do make people happy."

Utau smiled to herself too, "Yeah. Thank you, Ami."

The three of them walked through the Easter building to the recording studios. Ami asked her a lot of questions. When they got to the studio they made their way into the equipment room.

"Wow, there are so many things. How can you learn to use all of this…?" Amu asked her.

"People with real talent don't need all of these machines. Anyway, the one I'm interested in right now is this one," Utau told them as she pointed to one of the machines. To Amu, it looked the same as the rest of them.

Utau first of all made her way to a different machine and, taking the sound recording device out of her pocket, she plugged it into the machine. She started expertly pressing the buttons on the machine. Ami and Amu had absolutely no idea what she was doing. She twisted just about every dial before pressing a big green button which Amu assumed to mean start. After a few moments, a little memory card came out of the machine on the other side. Utau collected the memory card and made her way over to the machine she had pointed to before. She fed the memory card in before typing in a code. When she typed in the code the big screen lit up. She continued typing; Amu and Ami watched in amazement. Soon the screen read 'Hoshina Kazuomi.' It had lots of wave-looking things that Amu had no idea about. Utau continued to click some buttons and a second set of waves came up. She pressed a few buttons, and the conversation she had recorded began playing. The first time he spoke, the machine paused. The screen flashed and the two waves on the screen looked the same. Amu, Ami and Utau all looked at the screen at once.

It read '_99. 7% voice match.'_

Amu and Utau stayed silent for a moment before they both screamed in unison. They hugged each other and Ami. They had done it. They had won. They'd done it. They screamed again.

* * *

><p>Later that afternoon, just as Amu and Ami were leaving the training academy, Utau came up to them again.<p>

"I got a date for our initial court hearing. It's next Saturday. We have 1 hour for the initial hearing."

"What's an initial hearing?" Amu asked.

"Oh, it's basically a short court session without a jury. They use it for cases involving high-profile people. It's to see if the two parties can come to agreement, or one party will give up without the need for a full-length court session. One problem; what on Earth are we going to do about a lawyer?"

"Oh, crap. I didn't even think about that. I guess we can talk to the others about it on Monday."

"Yeah, maybe together we can come up with something."

"Thank you so much, Utau," Amu told her, "You did nearly everything. You are an amazing person."

"Just remember, I didn't do this for you."

"UTAU!" Ami screamed, "Ah we fwends now?"

"Yes, of course we are, Ami," Utau told her with a smile.

They said their goodbyes and Amu and Ami made their way back to their dorm. Amu told both Yaya and Ikuto the whole story. Still excited, she left her dorm and told Rima and Tadase what had happened as well.

Monday came around before long. At recess the guardians and Utau met in the royal garden.

"Let's save the pleasantries and talk business," Utau told them, "The court hearing is next Saturday. Before then we need to find a lawyer."

"What? Shouldn't the prosecution office handle this?" Tadase asked.

"Well, they should. The prosecution office isn't willing to get involved with Easter, though. That means that this is being tried as a personal case, which means we need our own lawyer."

"What? That's pathetic," Kairi said.

"They're so afraid of Easter that they won't even go into court against them?" Rima asked.

"Yeah. I don't suppose any of you know any lawyers?" Utau asked.

They all stayed silent for a moment before Tadase spoke up, "Actually… I do know one. I have a feeling he'll be willing to help, too."

They all celebrated. With this, it was only a matter of time.

* * *

><p>During lunch time Tadase made his way to the planetarium. He had memorised the route to get there, although it took him a long time. When he entered he saw Tsukasa sitting, staring at the ceiling.<p>

"Just where I expected you to be," Tadase said.

"You know me well," he replied.

"I have some business to discuss with you."

"You were always quick to talk business. Sometimes you just have to relax. Let's talk about your personal life first."

Tadase stayed silent for a moment before he sat down next to Tsukasa.

"How are things going between you and the joker?" Tsukasa asked.

Tadase stayed silent for a moment, "I don't think it's going to work out."

"Oh, why's that?"

"I'll word it in a way you'd like," Tadase joked, "I don't think we're destined to be together."

"Oh? Have you tried the destiny game yet?" Tsukasa asked.

"Not yet… She saw it, but that was when she still loved Kukai. Needless to say, she ran off."

"Oh… Well, before you break it off, remind her of it. Try out fate. You'll find it teaches you well."

"Thanks, Tsukasa. Anyway, back to business. We require the assistance of a lawyer."

He chuckled, "You know I never actually graduated law…"

"Well, you're the closest thing we've got."

"Well, in that case, sure. You'll have to tell me about the case."

"Of course. It might take a while."

"I'm always willing to write a note," Tsukasa told him.

Tadase smiled, "Thanks."

* * *

><p>After school the guardians met and Amu told them about how Tsukasa would be their lawyer. Amu relayed the news to Ikuto that night.<p>

"You guys might really be able to bring down Easter," Ikuto told her.

"And then you'll finally be able to get out of my room," Amu told him.

"Aww, you're so cold. Haven't you enjoyed having me in your room?"

"No."

"Don't lie. I've given you so much advice. Speaking about advice, Yamada has pretty good fashion."

"Are you gay?" Amu asked jokingly.

Ikuto almost choked, "What?"

"You always talk about fashion; you even knew what I should wear for my date with Tadase."

"Well, I am a male model. Fashion is of utmost importance…"

"What? You're a model?" Amu was shocked.

"Of course. I've already graduated the modelling and dance classes at Easter. I'm a professional model. Knowing what to wear for every occasion is especially important to a model."

"Well, most male models are gay."

Ikuto rolled his eyes, "You should know I'm not gay by now."

Amu playfully looked away and thought for a moment, "Hmm… I'm not sure.

Ikuto crawled over to her, and whispered in her ear, "Want me to prove it to you?"

"I'm fine, thanks."

"Oh, wow. You totally shut me down."

Amu smirked, "Of course. I don't need you."  
>"What's that supposed to mean?" Ikuto asked.<p>

"Nothing," Amu replied.

"Oh? It doesn't mean you're dating Tadase?" Ikuto persisted.

Amu was shocked when he said this, "Of course not."

"Don't bother lying. I could hear your conversation with Yaya. I already know you guys are dating. Why'd you lie to me?"

"I didn't really lie to you. I did realise you were right. I realised that I didn't love him… but some part of me said yes anyway. I don't know why I said yes. I didn't want to tell you since you said you still thought of him as a brother."

"Well, even though I think of him as a brother, remember I said that you're the one person I can trust. I think of you as a friend, Amu. I don't want to hurt you."

"Thanks, Ikuto. Well, I'm planning on breaking it off on Friday."

"One day before your trial? Not a good idea. You need to all be united for your trial. You should give him time to bounce back. I think you should break it off tomorrow or Wednesday."

"Oh. Thanks Ikuto. Anyway, I'm gonna go to sleep. Can you turn off the light?"

"Yeah, sure," Ikuto replied. He got up, turned off the light and lay down on the floor.

* * *

><p>The next day Amu was running a bit late. She still managed to make it to form class on time; she entered just a few seconds after Nikaido did. As she sat down next to Tadase they smiled at each other.<p>

Nikaido began talking and everyone paid attention, "As you guys should know, school photos are tomorrow. I hope none of you have forgotten."

Amu's stomach began to move uncomfortably. With everything that had been going on with Easter, it had been pushed to the back of her mind. Her father would be at the school.

"We'll have a form class photo, as well as everyone will have an individual photo."

"Are you alright, Amu?" Tadase whispered.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I know exactly what I'm going to say to him."

* * *

><p>After recess Amu had a double period of phys ed. As she walked through the corridors to the gym, she was anxious. She knew that right at this moment her father was somewhere in this big school. He hadn't made an effort to talk to her yesterday. What a pathetic father. After Amu got changed she made her way out onto the oval. She acted normal with Yamada.<p>

That lesson they were busy preparing for their assessment. They did a practice-run of the assessment. Amu and Yamada ran together and they finished at the same time, beating everyone else. Mr. Anderson told them he was impressed. The two of them were exhausted. After class finished Amu got changed back into her school uniform and then left the changing room. Yamada left the change room at the same time.

"Oh god. I'm still so exhausted," he told her.

"I know. I could just die."

"Umm… do you think it'd be alright if I hang out with you and the guardians at lunch?" He asked her.

"Of course. We hang out in the cafeteria. Feel free to hang out with us whenever."

When the two got to the cafeteria they sat down with the other guardians and they began chatting. Before long Amu heard someone call out her name from behind. Her heart rate quickened at the chance it was her father. When she turned around, though, it was Suzuki.

"Oh, hi Suzuki. Why don't you sit with us?" Amu offered.

He sat down and they were all talking happily.

"This is so nice," Amu told them, "We should all sit together every day."

"Yeah. You're right," Suzuki told them, "Since I'm only in year 9, I don't get to see you guys much."

Their happiness was temporarily interrupted when as someone walked past he elbowed Suzuki in the face.

"Woops, sorry fag," the boy said.

Everyone was in shock. The boy was about to walk away when Yamada stood up.

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY?" He screamed.

"I said he's a fag. Have you heard him sing?"

"What are you doing, Yamada? Don't worry, I'm used to it," Suzuki told him quietly.

"No. I won't sit by as someone is bashed because they're gay. I've done it once, I won't do it again. You get back here, you scared little shit," Yamada said seriously.

"What are you doing?" Suzuki asked again.

"I'm making something right," Yamada told the table quietly.

The boy began to walk back up to Yamada. As they were face to face he threatened Yamada, "Just 'cause you're good at sports, don't think you can fight."

"Just 'cause you're an ugly shit, don't think you can go around insulting other people."

"What did you just say?" The boy yelled.

"You're a fucking ugly piece of shit!" Yamada yelled back.

The boy took a swing at Yamada, who stepped out of the way. He came forward swinging again. As the boy stepped forward, so did Yamada. Yamada got in close and held his arm up to the side to block the boy's swing. He raised his elbow and it connected with the boy's chin. The boy was stunned for a moment. Yamada took that opportunity to grab his shoulders, and he pulled his knee up to connect with the guy's balls. He then threw the boy to the ground as he recoiled in pain. He put one foot on the boy's chest and pushed down slightly. The boy whimpered.

"Say sorry," Yamada demanded.

"Fuck you!" He hissed.

Yamada raised his foot before slamming it down into his chest. The boy was winded.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?" Nikaido screamed as he saw the fight, "BREAK IT UP!"

Yamada stepped off him, "I was teaching him that gay bullying won't be tolerated at this school."  
>"This isn't the way you teach someone," Nikaido told him, "Tsukasa will see you in his office. You too, Joel."<p>

The boy got up off the floor and Nikaido escorted them away. Mrs. Lim came to the scene now and began talking to the guardians, "Did you people see the whole fight?"

"Yes, we did," Amu replied.

"Can you come with me to Tsukasa's office?" She requested.

"Of course, whatever we can do to help."

* * *

><p>They all arrived at Tsukasa's office and sat down.<p>

"Well, what happened here?" Tsukasa questioned.

"Well..." Everyone began in unison.

"No, be quiet. Tadase, I want you to explain first."

"Well, we were sitting at our table and Joel suddenly walked past and elbowed Suzuki on purpose, calling him a fag. Yamada stood up and yelled at him, saying that gay bullying won't be tolerated. Then Joel swang at Yamada and in self defence Yamada blocked it and counter attacked."

Everyone stayed silent as Tsukasa talked again, "Okay, this time my question is for Amu. Who started the fight verbally?"

"Joel," she replied simply.

"And who started it physically?" He asked again.

"That was also Joel."

"I've heard enough," Tsukasa told them, "Can everyone except for Yamada and Joel please leave?"

Everyone filed out of the office, leaving Tsukasa, Yamada and Joel alone.

"What you did was absolutely unacceptable, Joel," Tsukasa told him, "You'll have out of school suspension for the rest of the term. Now get out of my office."

He hung his head as he walked out of Tsukasa's office, leaving just Tsukasa and Yamada.

"I admire your actions," Tsukasa told Yamada, "But you went too far. Hitting him once or twice would have been enough. You'll have after school detention for 3 days starting from today."

"Yes. Thank you," Yamada said as he left his office.

* * *

><p>Yamada told Amu of his punishment. Amu still found it a bit unfair, but Yamada assured her it was fine.<p>

As Amu made her way back to her dorm with Yaya she began to talk, "I feel sorry for Yamada. He was just standing up for Suzuki."

"I know! Tsukasa can be so unfair," Yaya said while pouting.

When they arrived back at the dorm Amu and Yaya both went to their room to drop their bags. When Amu entered her room she screamed. Ikuto was standing there, wearing nothing. As Amu screamed she looked away and ran out of her room. Yaya ran out of her room.

"What's wrong, Amu?" Yaya asked.

Still shocked, Amu didn't answer. This prompted Yaya to open Amu's door. She too, screamed, and shut the door. Inside Amu's room, Ikuto slapped himself. He quickly got changed and came out. Amu and Yaya were both silent.

"I'm sorry…" Ikuto said softly.

"Why were you naked?" Amu asked.

"I was getting changed…"

"Why weren't you already changed?" Amu asked again, louder this time.

Ikuto stayed silent.

"Sit down," Yaya told Ikuto firmly, "You two have a lot of explaining to do."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: SOOO SORRY! It's been exactly one month since I last updated. I feel terrible. There's been a lot going on in my life. I promise that from now on it'll be more consistent, though. Now, onto things to think about:**

**It seems like the Easter arc is coming to a climax! However... The director seemed really confident even when Utau was leaving… Does he have something up his sleeve?**

**Yamada seems to have quite a roommate complex. Is it just that his masculinity feels threatened, or did something happen in the past? **

**Somehow the news about Suzuki's voice spread. Luckily Yamada stood up for him. We got to see how brave and handsome Yamada is… :P (I love you Yamada~!) Too bad he got detention now T_T**

**UH OH! AMU AND IKUTO ARE IN TROUBLE… What is going to happen here…?**


	21. Chapter 19: Destroyed Chara

**Chapter 19: Destroyed Chara **

Amu and Ikuto sat side by side, facing Yaya. They both stayed silent.

"I'm not getting any younger," Yaya told them seriously.

Amu spoke first, "He was being chased by Easter. There was a guy with a knife chasing him. I found him and he fainted. I took him back here just to take care of him…"

"It was my fault," Ikuto took over, "I didn't want to go out because I knew Easter would find me. So, I asked to stay in her room. She said she'd have to ask you, but I begged her not to."

"Ikuto…" Amu mumbled.

"How long has this been going on?" Yaya asked them.

"Since last Wednesday," Amu told her.

"You know what I'm most disappointed about?" Yaya asked.

"No…" Amu said softly.

"That you couldn't trust me enough to tell me. I mean, Nadeshiko was my best friend, but then she left. You're my best friend, Amu. I know that I'm not your best friend, and I don't care. You're my best friend, and I would tell you anything. I can't believe you'd hide something like this from me…"

Yaya sounded really hurt; it pierced Amu, "I'm so sorry…"

"Even though you're my best friend, I know that on your list I'm only low down. I still don't even know about your past. I still don't even know you that well and I **live **with you. I thought I was high enough on your list that you could trust me with something like this, though."

"I'm sorry…"

"I think I need time staying somewhere else. I need time without me relying on any of my friends... I know that I'm immature; I need to learn to depend on myself. I'm going to find another dorm to stay in, and I think we should stop being friends for a while."

"Yaya," Amu began.

"No, let me talk. I'm sorry, Ikuto, but if you had done the right thing in the start I wouldn't have had to say this. You'll need to leave our dorm. Ami lives here and she's only a little girl. It isn't right. I understand that Easter is after you, but I'm sure you can find somewhere to stay. I want you out of here by Thursday. Otherwise, I'll have to report you to Tsukasa."

"Yes, I understand," Ikuto told her.

"Well, I'm going to pack up my stuff," Yaya told them. She turned around and walked into her room.

"I did something really bad…" Amu said quietly as a tear fell from her eye.

"I'll change back into my original clothes and leave," Ikuto told her.

"No, wait. I'll help you find a place. We can find you a hotel or something."

"My credit card is registered under Easter. As soon as I use it, they'll know," Ikuto told her.

"Well, we'll figure something out. At least stay here for tonight and we can try figure something out. Tomorrow you can leave."

"Thank you, Amu," Ikuto told her.

"You can sleep in the spare room tonight," Amu told him.

"Sure."

Later that afternoon Amu went out to pick up Ami. When she got back, Yaya was already gone.

* * *

><p>The next morning Amu arrived at school early. Tadase was the only other one who was there early.<p>

"Hi, Amu," Tadase said brightly.

"Hi," she responded with a smile on her face.

"I was wondering, could we talk after rehearsals today?"

" Yeah, sure. Give me like an hour or so before you come over, though. I need to pick Ami up."

"Yeah, sure. Thanks, Amu."

"Anytime," Amu assured him. More students began coming into class. Amu was confused; people usually came in just after the bell rang. "Why's everyone coming early?"

"Cause of school photos… Will you be alright, Amu?"

"Yeah, don't worry about me. I'll be fine, she assured him.

Nearly everyone was in class by the time the bell rang. As Nikaido entered class he was delighted to see everyone already in their seats, "I'm glad there's such anticipation for school photos. Luckily, we're up first."

There were cheers throughout the class. Everyone stood up and the class walked towards the media room. As Amu was walking she was getting more and more nervous. Soon she'd be face to face with her father. She hadn't seen him in so long.

Amu was calmed down when Tadase's hand gripped hers.

"Thanks," she told him.

The two walked in silence.

Nikaido began talking to the class as they walked, "Guys, we're going to the side entrance to the media block. The photos will be taken in the green screen room."

A chorus of 'okay' was heard from the class. The class walked as a group and they arrived at the side entrance to the media block.

"Wait here," Nikaido told them as he went through the door. He went through one of the doors in the building. After about 30 seconds he came back out.

"Okay guys; arrange yourself in order of height. Shortest at the front, tallest at the back."

Tadase gripped Amu's hand one more time before he let go.

Amu was about a third of the way through the line. After everyone had lined up they walked single file into the green screen room. As Amu entered she saw a seating frame, with three metal bars for sitting on. She turned to see him standing there. He had soft eyes, and short eyebrows. He had a smile on his face. He truly looked like a nice person when he stood there. What a deceptive look.

"Okay guys," he said to the class, "I'm going to tell you where to sit."

He tapped Rima's shoulder since she was the shortest and told her were to sit. The line seemed to go down quickly as everyone made their way over to the seating stand. The first row had been completely filled, and Amu was now the first in line. Tsumugu was about to tap Amu's shoulder when Amu's hand instinctively reached up to slap his hand away.

"I'm sorry, I don't like disgusting people touching me," she told him.

He looked obviously offended, "I'm sorry. Can you sit in the centre of the second row?"

"Whatever," Amu brushed off what he said as she made her way over to the seating stand. She sat down and people began filling the 2nd row. After all three rows had been filled, Nikaido stood beside the seating stand.

"Okay, is everyone happy?" Tsumugu asked, "On the count of three say cheese!"

Amu didn't smile as he took the photo. He looked up from the camera.

"Hey! You girl with pink hair! Can't you at least smile? You've been absolutely rude to me ever since you walked in here, I have no idea why."

"Don't call me girl with pink hair, I have a name you know," she said to him.

"Well what's your name?" He asked.

"Hinamori Amu."

He froze as he heard her name. He didn't move for a few seconds.

"I guess you understand why I've been rude to you now?" Amu asked sarcastically.

"Amu…" he said slowly.

"Don't you dare say my name; you lost the right the minute you walked out of my life."Amu got up from her seat and moved out of the seating stand, "This time, I'm the one who's walking away."

She walked to the door and opened it. As she was about to walk out he yelled out, "Wait, Amu!"

"I told you not to say my name," Amu warned him. She shut the door and it slammed closed.

Tadase, Rima and Yamada got up from their seats on the seating stand.

"I'm leaving," Rima told them as she walked out the door. Tadase followed her out.

Yamada walked up to Tsumugu and whispered in his ear, "You don't know what she went through after you left her. You are not fit to be a father. I hope you suffer in hell."

Yamada too, walked out of the room. Everyone else in the class was looking on in astonishment. They had no idea what had just happened.

"Well, let's get back to the class photo shall we?" Nikaido suggested.

Tsumugu, still in shock over what had just happened simply nodded his head.

Amu was standing outside the media block. Tadase, Rima and Yamada ran up to her.

"Are you alright?" Rima asked.

"Are you joking?" Amu asked, "I'm **fantastic**! That felt so good!"

The four of them began laughing. "Did you see the look on his face when you said your name?" Tadase asked in between his laughs.

"He was like a deer caught in the headlights!" Rima said still laughing.

They all continued laughing. Amu felt comfort just knowing that her friends were beside her. They continued to talk until people began to come out of the green screen room one at a time. The tallest came out first. Obviously the solo photos were done from tallest to shortest.

Nikaido came out and he walked up to the four of them, "You still need to do your solo photos. It's a requirement of the school that everyone has a solo photo done."

They all looked at Amu, "Sure. Let's go back in there."

The four of them walked back into the room just as the last girl left. Tsumugu turned to see the four of them.

"Amu… can I talk to you alone?" He asked.

"No. If you have something to say just say it," she told him.

"Well, okay…" He began, "I want to be part of your life again. That's why I offered to do the school photos."

"Yet, you didn't approach me at all. You didn't try that hard," Amu told him.

"That's because I thought you'd hate me, which you obviously do…"

"Well guess what. When you left me it was the hardest time of my life. I'm better now, though. My friends mean everything to me," Amu told him as she hugged the three of them, "And I'm fine living without you. So, don't think after all this time you can just walk back into my life."

"But, Amu…"

"No, just no. I don't want you in my life, and neither does Ami."

"How is Ami?" He asked, excited by the mention of her name.

"Fine without you," Amu told him.

"Please… what can I do to get you back in my life?" He was almost begging now.

"How about you start showing an interest in my life again? I'm doing an opening number for an audition next Tuesday. It's being held at the school's auditorium. Come and watch me sing."

"Of course. I'll definitely be there," he told her.

"Why'd you do that?" Tadase whispered to her.

"Because I'm going to give him a message. He'll realise that I don't want him in my life."

Tsumugu went back to his camera, "Okay, tall guy you're up."

One by one, the four of them each took a photo. They didn't leave after their individual photo, though; they waited for all four of them to have their photo taken. They left as a group, not looking back as they exited the room.

* * *

><p>At recess the group made their way to their usual spot in the cafeteria. Amu, Tadase, Rima, Kairi, Yamada and Suzuki were sitting at the table. There was an empty spot in between Rima and Kairi were Yaya usually sat. After they had been talking for a while, Suzuki bought up the topic.<p>

"Where's Yaya?" He asked.

Everyone other than Amu shrugged. Amu looked down towards the table before she spoke up, "She's just having some time away from us so she can learn to be self-dependant…"

Suzuki knew he had bought up a sensitive topic, so took her answer for granted. Tadase was quick to change the topic, "Wow, we're actually doing a practice run through of the musical today… In less than two weeks we will actually be performing it in front of an audience for the first time."

"Ahh… damn. Can you guys apologize to Geraldine for me? I still have after school detention…"

"Oh, that's right," Amu said, "Damn. Won't be the same with William."

He chuckled, "William is still awesome."

"Shh. I'm trying to cheer you up," she told him.

Everyone began laughing.

They kept talking until the bell rang for next class. Everyone bid their goodbyes as Amu and Rima made their way to the art room. When they entered the room they saw a lot of pieces of paper which were upside down all over the tables.

"What's all this?" Rima questioned.

The art teacher was excited at the question, "We're going to have a draw-off."

"A what?" Amu asked.

"I'll wait until everyone is in the class to explain what we're doing," she told them.

After a minute or so everyone had gotten to class and taken a seat.

"Okay class!" The teacher yelled. She was obviously very excited, "Today, we're extremely lucky. The year 12 art teacher suddenly started vomited at recess."

"Wow, that's a bit mean," someone called out.

"Oh, woopsies. I didn't mean it like that. But anyway, since they couldn't find a relief for her at such short notice, we'll be combining the year 11 and year 12 art classes for the next two lessons." Gasps of excitement were heard throughout the class. "Everyone welcome the year 12 art students!"

Everyone looked towards the door as the year 12 students began walking through the door. Amu was surprised when she saw Shouta walk through the door with the other students. There were only 8 year 12 students, which also surprised Amu, considering that there were about 15 year 11 students.

"Year elevens, I want you to get into partners and when you have decided on your partnership, there should be only one pair per table," she told the class.

Amu and Rima both looked at each other at the same time. They stayed at the table they were currently sitting at.

"Now, year 12s, I want one of you to go to each pair."

Shouta immediately locked eyes with Amu. He walked over to the table Amu and Rima were sitting at.

"I didn't know you did art," Amu said to Shouta.

He was about to comment, but they were interrupted when the teacher spoke again, "Okay. We're going to be doing a draw-off. Each table has a word on it. It's just a word. I want every person in the group to just draw any ideas they get when they think about that word. You just fill your page with every idea that comes to your mind. At the end, people will vote for who has the best drawing in each group of 3." Everyone got excited. This sounded like it would be fun. "Also, year elevens, I want you to look at your senior's works. I'm pretty sure they'll win everything. This is just made to be a learning experience. Don't discuss with each other what you're drawing. It's about your personal feelings. Groups, flip over your paper."

Amu flipped over the piece of paper which was in the middle of the table. It read '_Prisoner._'

The three of them began drawing and Amu was the first to talk, "So you do Art?"

"Yeah. I don't want to sound cocky, but I'm the best artist in this school."

Amu scoffed, "Whatever. I'll just show you."

"You two know each other?" Rima asked.

"Oh, yeah. Woops, I totally forgot to introduce you guys. How bad is that?" Amu said, "Rima, this is Shouta. Shouta, this is Rima."

"How do you guys know each other?" Rima asked.

Have you ever experienced that weird phenomena where everyone in the class suddenly goes silent at once, just as you're about to speak? If you have, you probably know what I'm talking about. It always seems to happen at the most inconvenient time. Well, that's what happened just then.

"Oh, he's Yamada's roommate, so we've met a lot."

Gasps were heard throughout the classroom. By itself, that sentence sounded really bad.

"There's a misunderstanding here," Shouta clarified.

"It's no use, Shouta. It'll be all over the school by lunch time. That's alright; I'm used to it by now."

"You're used to it? That's wrong. You shouldn't have to get used to rumours like this."

"It's fine. I know who my friends are, and they don't believe things like this. That's enough for me."

He smiled at her, "You're an inspiration, you know."

"Thanks. Well, don't think I'm going to go easy on you 'cause you're flattering me. I'm going to draw the best damn picture you've seen."

"I look forward to seeing it after you finish. I'm sure I'll beat you, though."

"Don't forget about me," Rima warned them.

They kept drawing and talking when Rima's head suddenly shot up, "Oh I just remembered I have to tell you something, Amu."

"Oh, what is it?"

"Guess what I'm doing after rehearsals today?"

"What?"

Rima lowered her voice so only Amu and Shouta could hear her, "A guy from my drama class called Takuya asked me on a date…"

Amu had to put her hand over her mouth to stop herself from screaming, "Congratulations!"

"Oh, congratulations. Just remember, if he breaks your heart, I'm always here to help you feel better," he joked.

"Another player," Rima joked as she rolled her eyes, "You're not my type."

"Ooh, burnt!" Amu said as she playfully nudged Shouta.

"You won't say that after a night with me," he told her.

"Wow, you sound confident," Rima said.  
>"Of course. I have a 100% success rate."<p>

"Zero out of zero doesn't count as 100% success rate," Amu added.

"Oh, wow. Is it gang up on Shouta day?" He asked.

Amu and Rima high fived each other before Amu added, "I'm sorry, but it's fun."

After about one and a half hours had gone by, the teacher told everyone that it was time that each group would present their pictures. Amu's group was up first. The three of them stood up and made their way to the front of the class.

"Well, Rima, can you show the class your picture and explain your feelings?" The teacher asked.

Rima showed everyone the picture. It was a picture of a girl with a chain tied around her body. The chain went into her chest, "Well… I wanted to express that everyone is a prisoner of themselves. That's why the chain comes out of her chest…"

"Wow! That's beautiful. This'll be hard to top. Let's see what Amu has."

Amu showed her picture. It was a picture of a girl running through a field, "I went for a different approach. The girl is running free; she's not going to allow herself to be a prisoner."

"Wow… this will be a close one," The teacher said, "Last but not least, Shouta."

He revealed his picture. It was a picture of two people kissing. There was a chain coming out of the girl's chest. It wrapped around the boy's neck. "Well, I guess I wanted to show that we're all prisoners of the one we love. The boy is a prisoner of a girl's love. A chain comes from her heart and it's around his neck. If the girl walks too far away, the chain will tighten and cut off his air supply, so he'll die. He can only live if the girl is close."

Everyone in the class stared at his picture. He had so much small detail in the picture. Even Amu and Rima were in awe. It was truly beautiful. They couldn't believe he had drawn it in only an hour and a half.

"Okay… we'll vote now," the teacher told them, "Who votes for Shouta?"

Everyone in the class, including Amu and Rima put their hands up.

"I'll concede," Amu told him, "When it comes to art, you could teach me a few things."

He smiled, "Art's not the only thing that I could teach you a few things about."

Amu playfully slapped him, "You're such a pervert."

"Well, by unanimous vote Shouta has won. Which group is next?"

They sat through the voting for each group and after it finished, there was about 10 minutes left until lunch. The teacher told them they could talk for a bit.

"You're art was beautiful," Rima said to Shouta.

"Well, I was inspired," Shouta told them.

"Oh? By who? Must be some girl if she can have a chain around your neck," Amu teased.

"Oh, yeah. That person's something alright…"

"So maybe you'll tone down your playboy tendencies a bit?" Rima asked.

He scoffed, "Yeah right. I'm not the type for a serious relationship."

Amu put her face into her hands, "You'll never learn. Well, I'm glad that your teacher got sick. It gave me a chance to get to know you better. Before today I just thought you were Yamada's sex-crazy roommate. I learnt that you actually have a personality, a sex-crazy one, but still." Amu poked out her tongue as she finished talking.

"Oh, wow. So immature. Well, I'm a teenage boy, what do you expect?"

Amu and Rima rolled their eyes. The bell rang, and they all headed out to lunch.

"Where do you hang out at lunch?" Amu asked Shouta.

"Oh, I hang out with some of my friends in the cafeteria."

"Same!" Rima said.

"You should come and sit with us," Amu told him.

"God, Yamada would probably kill me," he said. Amu and Rima looked at him questioningly, "Don't get me wrong, we're good friends. We just see each other enough without hanging out together at school."

They smiled and Rima talked this time, "I get where you're coming from. Well you're always welcome to sit with us. You'd sure spice up the conversation a bit."

"Was that a compliment?" He asked.

Amu and Rima just giggled to themselves. When the three of them arrived at the cafeteria they went their separate ways. Amu and Rima sat down with the rest of the group as normal.

* * *

><p>The rest of the day flew by quickly. The rehearsal for the musical went well. Ikuto's understudy, Scott, still couldn't do the role as good as Ikuto could. William was a bit disappointing after seeing Yamada perform so many times.<p>

Rima and Amu were walking back to their dorms together.

"I hope you have fun on your date," Amu told her.

"Yeah… good luck with Tadase."

"Thanks… I'll need it."

By the time Amu and Ami arrived back at their dorm there was only about 10 minutes left until Tadase was coming.

"Ami, can you go in your room for a while? Amu has something very important to do…"

"Sure sissy! I'm weawwy tiwed anyway, so I'm going to sweep."

"Okay then, good girl, Ami."

After Ami went into her room Amu knocked on the guest room door. Ikuto opened the door.

"Hey," Amu began, "I don't have long until Tadase comes. When he arrives, you need to just stay in here okay. I'm going to say this very quickly. I'll pay for a hotel for you until the court hearing on Saturday."

"What?" Ikuto asked.

"I'll pay for your hotel, that way they can't track it to you."

"You can't do that, Amu. You are only living comfortably; if you start wasting money on a hotel for someone else then you and Ami will go hungry."

"I don't care," Amu said, "I'll give Ami my food, whatever. I can live with one meal a day anyway, I'm good at it. I want to help you, Ikuto."

"No, I can't let you do that," Ikuto told her.

Amu heard the doorbell ring, "Oh, its Tadase. Get in your room and stay in there."

Ikuto got into his room and closed the door. Amu walked up to the door and opened it.

"Hi, Amu," Tadase said with a smile on his face.

"Hi, come in."

Tadase came in and the two of them sat down on the couch, "Amu, remember when you saw me with the key necklace that matches your lock?"

"Yeah."

"Well, we never tried to put one in."

"I guess we didn't," Amu said.

"Can we try now?" Tadase asked. Amu thought about it for a moment. She was still thinking when Tadase spoke up again, "Please, Amu. I need to do this so I can make a decision."

"Okay, then," Amu conceded. Tadase moved closer to her. Amu pulled her necklace out from under her shirt. Tadase looked down at the keys on his chain. He picked up the one in the middle and held it in his left hand. In his right hand he picked up Amu's necklace and he slowly moved the key into the lock. The key touched the lock, but it didn't fit in.

Tadase smiled sadly, "As I thought. We aren't destined to be together."

Amu, too, smiled sadly, "Yeah, I don't think we are supposed to be together."

"Well, I hope we can still be really good friends," Tadase told her.

"Of course. I wouldn't have it any other way," she said adamantly.

It was at that moment that Ikuto exited his room. As they heard the door open both Amu and Tadase looked over to the room. Shock crossed both of their faces.

"Ikuto…" they both said in unison.

"Why are you here?" Tadase asked, disbelief in his voice.

"Oh? Amu didn't tell you? I've been sleeping in her dorm for the past week. I was actually sleeping in her room until yesterday."

Tadase looked at Amu in disbelief, "It's not true, right Amu?"

Amu looked at the floor.

"ANSWER ME!" Tadase screamed.

"Well, it's true, but-"

Amu was cut off when Tadase pushed past her. He ran out the door of the dorm. Amu fell to her knees.

"WHY DID YOU DO THAT?" Amu screamed at Ikuto, "GET OUT OF HERE NOW. I HATE YOU. I WILL NEVER SPEAK TO YOU AGAIN IN MY LIFE. I HOPE EASTER CATCHES YOU AND YOU DIE!"

The words pierced Ikuto, _'Stay strong, Ikuto. You're doing the right thing. This is for her, after all.' _ He slowly walked out of the dorm, and shut the door.

Ami came out of her room after hearing the screaming, "Ah you okay, sissy?"

"Yes, I'm okay. I just have to go out for a bit. Go back to sleep, Ami."

"Okay, sissy," Ami responded before she went back into her room.

Amu wiped her eyes, but it was pointless. The tears wouldn't stop flowing. She had just ruined his life. She needed to talk to someone. Kukai and Nadeshiko were gone. Yaya, Tadase and Ikuto hated her now.

She stood up off the floor and ran out of her dorm. She needed to get some fresh air. Not thinking straight, she ran to Rima's dorm and banged on the door. After there was no answer, she slumped to the ground. As if on cue, Amu heard a rumble from the sky. It started raining and Amu was soaking wet. The tears mixed with the rain on her face, making her face so much colder. Her face was going numb as she stood up. She now remembered Rima was on a date. Her next thought was Yamada. Wet, cold and still crying Amu began walking towards Yamada's dorm. When she arrived she only banged on the door once before she fell to her knees. She couldn't stand anymore. Someone inside had obviously heard her bang, though, since the door opened a few seconds later. Amu looked up at the person who had opened the door to see Shouta standing there in only his boxers. As he looked down to see Amu drenched his face became worried immediately. He leant down and picked her up, carrying her inside. Amu's wet body was pressed against his warm one. Amu wrapped her arms around him to try and stay warm.

"You're freezing…" he told her.

"I ruined Tadase's life," she cried out. Tears flowed from her eyes.

"I'll get a towel. I'll be back in just a second," he told her. He quickly rushed to get two towels from the bathroom and came back out. He wrapped one towel around her while pressing the other one against her body to dry her off.

"I'm the worst…" Amu said.

"No, you're not. You're a wonderful person," Shouta told her. After Amu was dry, Shouta pressed his hand to her forehead, "You're still so freezing…" Amu stayed silent, "I'll get you a change of clothes," He went into his room and pulled a pair of his boxers, track pants, long shirt and jumper out of his cupboard. "Go into the bathroom and get changed."

Amu stayed silent, she wasn't listening. Shouta picked her up bridal-style and carried her into the bathroom. He then went back and bought his clothes into the bathroom.

"You really need to dry yourself off and change your clothes. You'll get sick." Amu was still zoned out, "AMU!"

That snapped Amu back to reality. She paid attention to her situation now. She looked down at the clothes. They would be far too big on her. Shouta could see that Amu was back in reality now, "I'll be just outside this room, okay? I'll be right here."

Amu took off her clothes and dried herself again. She changed into the clothes Shouta had given her. They were far too oversized, the track-pants dragged along the floor, and the sleeves of the jumper were off her hand. She walked out of the bathroom and Shouta hugged her.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yes… your clothes are so warm," Amu said. She was still not thinking straight.

"I'm sorry Yamada isn't back from detention yet… he probably had some nasty teacher… You'd probably rather have him take care of you."

"No…" Amu answered, trying not to make Shouta feel bad. She didn't expand on her answer, leaving Shouta confused, "I'm a horrible person. I hate myself…"

"No, you're not. You're one of the nicest people I know, Amu," he told her as he hugged her again.

"Can I stay here for a while?" She asked.

"Sure, I'll help cheer you up," Shouta told her.

"I don't think anything could cheer me up…" She said, her voice was miserable.

"What about a magical night in my bedroom? I promise I'll help you forget everything that happened."

Amu thought about what he was saying. Right now, she was still a bit confused. That's why her reply was only one word, "Yeah…"

Shouta picked her up and whispered in her ear as he did, "I'll make you feel special, like you're the only one that matters. I'll make you feel like the most beautiful girl in the world."

Amu snuggled herself closer to him, taking comfort in his arms. Shouta carried her into his bedroom, and closed his bedroom door behind him.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Oh… My… God! I'm the author and I still get surprised when I read this part… Lots of things to think about for this chapter; don't think that you have to answer them all.**

**First of all, I just want to say that personally this is one of my FAVOURITE chapters in the whole story. I don't really like to brag about my own story, but I think Shouta's character is awesome! Shouta is finally given some good characterisation for himself in this chapter. Before this point, he was just like a plot point for Yamada's characterisation. This chapter marks his entry as a main character of the story. When I first introduced him, I never had any intention of him even becoming anything remotely near a main character. I planned on him only being there as an object of Yamada's jealousy. That is one of the main reasons I love what I've done with Shouta. **

**And, I have something to admit… The Rima going on a date with some random guy was kind of a cop-out on my behalf. I needed some way to remove her from the picture since she was the one person left that Amu would go to before Yamada. It probably seems REALLY out of character for Rima to go on a date, but you'll see what I did with it next chapter. :) Personally, I think that my cop-out worked out well haha. Anyway, things to think about:  
><strong>

**Will Amu really sleep with Shouta? If so, will she regret it? Will they start dating? If not, what will Shouta think?**

**Who is that person that Shouta is in love with? Why does he still fool around with girls if he's in love with someone?**

**What will Yamada think? Yamada has always been jealous of Shouta, and Amu promised him that she wouldn't sleep with Shouta! **

**What will Tadase think? Will this ruin every chance that they had of becoming friends again?**

**What is going to happen to Ikuto? He said that the only people he trusted were Utau and Amu, and Easter is keeping an eye on Utau… Where will he go?**

* * *

><p>That was a massive authors note… I wonder if anyone actually bothered reading it. Sorry that I ramble a lot!<p>

See you next weekend!


	22. Chapter 20: Best Friend Chara Part 1

**Chapter 20: Best Friend Chara Part 1**

Yamada was about to leave school after having detention. As he got to the door, though, he saw it was raining.

"Just great…" he groaned to himself, "First I get bloody Mr. Grey for detention, now it's raining. This isn't my day."

He opened the door and quickly began running back to his dorm. When he got back to his dorm he knocked on the door loudly. There was no answer. _'He's probably having sex with another bloody girl. This is definitely not my day…'_

He took his bag off his shoulders and reached into his bag for his key. After fumbling around for half a minute he finally found his key. He put it into the lock and opened the door. He was soaking wet when he stepped inside. He dropped his bag at the door looked around the room. He saw the floor and couch were already wet. '_He never listens to me. God! I'm so bloody pissed off.' _

Yamada walked into the bathroom to dry himself off. When he got into the bathroom he looked at the towel rack and saw that there were no dry towels. _'Of course there are no dry towels. Fucking hell!' _He then took another step and found himself standing on something. Quickly realising he was standing on something; he stepped back and looked down. It was a girl's uniform. '_God some slut probably couldn't wait until the bedroom. They could at least hang their clothes instead of laying them on the floor.' _He picked up the shirt which was on the floor and hung it up. When he looked back down at the pile he saw a hair tie. It had a red cross attached to it. _'Amu… This is Amu's hair tie. Amu's in Shouta's room right now? No… it couldn't be… Anyone except her, please…' _He stepped away from the clothes on the floor and, still soaking wet, ran out of the bathroom. He approached Shouta's door and held his ear up against the door, trying to hear what was going on inside.

"I'll never forget this night. Thank you so much…" he heard someone from inside the room say. It was a female's voice, and it sounded very similar to Amu's.

'_There are a lot of girls that sound like Amu. It could just be a coincidence…'_

"I told you, Amu. Anytime you need to be treated to one of Shouta's magical nights, you're always welcome in my room."

'_He said Amu…' _In rage Yamada slammed open Shouta's door and began screaming, "You promised me, Amu! You promised me you wouldn't sleep with him!"

His eyes widened at what he saw. He had expected to see them naked lying on his bed or something. He didn't know how to react when he saw the two of them fully clothed. Amu was dressed in the most wonderful dress he had ever seen. The top half bought her waist in, almost like a corset. The breast area had a large bow. At the waist the dress puffed out. The front part was uncovered just enough to show Amu's legs. She was wearing white leggings. There were yellow bows attached to the bottom of the dress all around. She wore white gloves which came up almost to her shoulders. Additionally, she was wearing an extremely large veil which came down to her waist. When the two of them heard the door open they turned around to face Yamada. Amu's makeup and hair had been done beautifully. She looked angelic. Yamada then turned to look at Shouta. He had a canvas in front of him. He was painting her?

"What is going on here…?" Yamada asked, confused.

Amu and Shouta looked at each other, thinking about how they could explain it. The events of that night began to replay in Amu's mind.

* * *

><p>As Shouta laid Amu down on his bed she couldn't help but notice how soft and comfortable it was. She felt completely relaxed. Shouta walked over to his cupboard and searched through it a bit. Amu finally thought properly about what was happening. She was lying on his bed. They were going to have sex.<p>

Amu sat up and began speaking quickly, "I can't do this."

"Just relax," he assured her.

"I can't have sex with you."

"We're not going to have sex," he promised.

Amu scoffed, "Why else would I be in your room?"

"I could never take advantage of someone while they're vulnerable. What do you take me for?" He sounded offended.

"Sorry," she apologized.

He pulled a dress out of his cupboard, "I think this one would suit you."

The dress was magnificent. It looked almost like a wedding gown. Amu was shocked when she saw it, "What…?"

"I told you I'm going to make you feel like the most beautiful girl in the world. Get changed into this," he told her.

"Why…?" She was still confused at what was happening.

"You need to forget everything that happened. You need to feel good about yourself. I'm going to help you do that. I'll draw a picture of you while you're at your best. Every time you feel sad, I want you to look at the picture and remind yourself of how beautiful you really are." Amu was shocked, to say the least. She stuttered, but no words came out. "So, get changed into this. You'll look beautiful in it."

Amu just took the dress from his arms, "Thanks…"

"Don't bother going to the bathroom. I'll turn around," he told her.

"Huh? I can't get changed with you right there."

"I chose a dress for you, I'm going to do your makeup, and I'm going to paint you. You haven't figured out I'm gay yet?"

Amu's eyes widened, "Gay…? But you've had sex with so many girls..."

He rolled his eyes, "I'm sorry. I should explain it step by step. I'm still a virgin. When girls feel really bad about themselves, they come to me and I make them feel beautiful. I just pretend to have sex with them to hide the fact I'm gay."

"But, why would you go to such a length to hide the fact you're gay?"

"I'm not brave. It's just a façade I put on. I'm scared and ashamed of my sexuality."

Amu hugged him, "You don't need to be."

"You've seen what people do to Suzuki, just because he has a high pitched voice. You can imagine what they would do to an openly gay guy…"

Amu closed her eyes. She knew he was telling the truth, "But why do you go to such lengths to make other girls happy?"

He closed his eyes and a sad smile came upon his face, "Because, I guess it's to compensate for myself. I can't be happy with myself, so I guess making other people happy with themselves is the next best thing."

Amu hugged him tighter, "You're one of the most thoughtful people I've ever met, Shouta. Too bad you're gay; I want you to myself now."

He laughed, "Well, should we start on your makeover?" He asked.

"Yeah, I think we both have things we need to forget about for a while."

They smiled together before Shouta turned around while Amu got changed. She changed into the white dress, which took quite a while. When she was finished changing she told Shouta he could turn around.

"You look beautiful," he told her.

"Thanks," she said as she looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were red and puffy and her cheeks were still red, "You lied. I look awful."

She turned around to face him and he was holding a makeup kit, "Behold, Shouta's master makeup skills."

After he finished applying Amu's makeup she looked at herself in the mirror again. She looked like a brand new person. She almost looked like a princess. The use of eye shadow and mascara made her eyes look big, gentle and kind. The foundation made her face look paler and more angelic. He straightened her hair and it fell down perfectly.

"You look like an angel," he told her.

Amu smiled, and the two of them hugged, "Thank you so much, Shouta. I really needed this…"

Amu sat on the stool, and Shouta took his place sitting in front of the canvas. He began to paint her. It took him a while, and the two kept talking while he painted her. They learnt so much about each other.

"I'm almost done," he told her, "Just doing the finishing touches now."

"I'll never forget this night. Thank you so much…" Amu told him. It was about the 10th time she had thanked him.

"I told you, Amu. Anytime you need to be treated to one of Shouta's magical nights, you're always welcome in my room."

At that moment, the two of them heard the door slam open, and an angry Yamada came rushing in.

* * *

><p>Shouta stayed absolutely silent and stared at the floor while Amu relayed the events of the night to Yamada. When she finished telling him everything, Yamada looked towards the floor as he began to talk.<p>

"I'm so sorry… I misunderstood everything…"

"It's fine," Amu assured him.

"Shouta…" Yamada began, "Why did you lie to me for so long...? You know that I have nothing against gay people…"

"You're the one person I couldn't tell," Shouta said.

"What do you mean by that?" Yamada asked.

"I just couldn't tell you."

"Why?" Yamada was persistent.

"Because you're the one I like!" Shouta yelled. Yamada went silent, his eyes widened in shock, "Now do you get it? No matter how supportive anyone is of gay people, of course anyone would be freaked out if a gay guy liked them."

Yamada closed his eyes; he had been so dumb this whole time, "Can you give us a little bit of space, Amu?"

"Sure, I'll wait out in the living room," she told them both.

After Amu stepped out and closed the door, Yamada hugged Shouta, "You're such a fool. You're my roommate, and one of my best friends. I could never hate you because of something like this. I don't think you're a freak."

A tear began to form in Shouta's eye, "Thanks…"

The two stayed in that position for a few moments before Shouta let go. Yamada began speaking, "I'm sorry that I can't return your feelings. One day, though, you'll find someone that will love you too. Until then, I'll be here for you as a best friend." Tears began to fall from Shouta's eyes, "I'm sorry, don't cry."

"I'm crying because I'm happy," Shouta assured him, "I'm happy that you're my best friend."

Yamada smiled. He wrapped his hands around Shouta's neck as he bought his face closer to his. Their lips pressed together until Yamada pulled away after a few seconds, "Hopefully that can tide you over until you find 'the one.'"

Shouta bought his fingers to his lips, his mind still processing what had happened. Yamada opened the door and told Amu she could come back in now. As Amu stepped back into the room she smiled at Yamada and then at Shouta, "Did you guys sort everything out?"

"Of course. We're best friends after all," Yamada told her.

Shouta bought himself back to reality, "Well, I have a picture to finish. Would you like to stay and talk with us, Yamada?"

"Yeah, I'd love to."

The three of them sat and talked while Shouta finished his picture. After he finished, he showed it to the two of them. They both gasped when they saw it, it was beautiful. He had drawn her perfectly.

"You are truly the greatest artist I've met," Amu told him.

He thanked her for the compliment as he handed the painting to Amu, "Anytime you feel sad, I want you to look at this picture. Remember that you're the most beautiful girl in the world. No-one can take that away from you."

"Thank you so much, Shouta. It truly was a magical night, for all of us."

Yamada cut in, "I'm so sorry, Amu. This was supposed to be about cheering you up, but because of me it was about me and Shouta."

"No, that was exactly what I needed. It showed me that friends can get through anything… I guess I just have to give it a little bit of time."

"Yeah. Until then, the three of us can sit together at recess and lunch?" Shouta suggested.

They both smiled and agreed. Yamada and Shouta left the room as Amu got changed back into the clothes Shouta had given her. When she was finished changing she opened the door again and they both came back in. Yamada laughed when he saw Amu wearing Shouta's clothes, "It really looks like you two slept together."

"Your boxers are really comfortable," Amu said to Shouta.

Yamada's eyes widened, "You're even wearing his boxers?"

"Yeah, well all my clothes were soaking wet."

Yamada looked at Amu and then at Shouta, "Are you sure you guys didn't sleep together? Wearing his boxers is… **really **intimate."

They both started laughing, "I'm pretty sure. She's not my type."

"Well, what's the time?" Amu asked, "I probably really need to get back to my dorm by now."

Yamada's eyes widened when he looked at the time, "Oh wow! It's 1am."

Amu's eyes widened too, "Okay, I definitely need to leave now."

The three said their goodbyes and Amu, carrying her picture, left their dorm. When she got back to her dorm she went straight to bed and to sleep, knowing what time she had to wake up at tomorrow.

* * *

><p>When Amu woke up the next morning she was exhausted. She was constantly yawning as she walked Ami to Easter's training academy. After she dropped Ami off she made her way to school. As she walked to school she thought about everything that had happened yesterday. She was no longer on good terms with Tadase, Yaya or Ikuto. She didn't know what this would mean for the trial on Saturday. She remembered that she would have to sit next to Tadase in form class today. What would she say?<p>

The bell rang as Amu was walking through the hallway. She quickly hurried and got into class before Nikaido did. As she walked into class she noticed that Tadase wasn't sitting in his usual seat. Instead, Rima was sitting where he usually sat. As Amu sat down next to Rima they greeted each other before Rima told her, "I thought you and Tadase might want to be separated for a bit."

"You have no idea…" Amu told her, "Anyway, how'd your date go last night?"

"We didn't really click."

"Aww, that's too bad. What'd you tell him?"

"We both decided it would be for the better if we didn't go on another date."

"Aww. Well, I guess you're back on the market."

"Yeah."

"To tell the truth," Amu began, "I'm surprised you went on a date. I'm your best friend, and I honestly don't think that you're able to properly share all of your emotions with a guy."

"Wow, you sound like him now."

"What do you mean?" Amu questioned.

"Last night at the end of the date when we both decided it was best if we didn't see each other again. He told me that I wouldn't find a guy if I couldn't learn to share my emotions. Blah blah blah. Why do you need to share emotions with a guy? That's what I have a best friend for."

Amu put her head in her hands, "Wow, you're really not good at this…"

"What do you mean?" Rima asked.

"Of course you should share things with your partner."

Rima scoffed, "What's the point in having a best friend then?"

"I get what this is," Amu said knowingly. Rima looked at her, confused. "You're using me as an excuse to close yourself off. You're acting as if I'm the only one you need. Listen, Rima. You can't keep using me as an excuse. I'm going to fix your attitude, and you're going to go on another date with that Takuya guy. This time it'll be better."

Rima stayed silent. Luckily she was saved when Nikaido finally began talking to the class. "Remember. Your club photos will be on Friday. Next Tuesday is the Easter auditions. It's a truly great opportunity. Everyone should get involved. You will be given your reports next Monday. Also, tickets are now on sale for the school production of 'Wicked.' It will be performed 4 different nights during these upcoming holidays. I hope everyone in the school gets behind this production and supports it. That's about all you need to know. You can go on with any study you have to do."

* * *

><p>When recess came around Amu, Rima and Yamada sat down at the table Shouta was sitting at in the cafeteria.<p>

"Yo," Shouta called, "Glad to see you could sit with me. I get lonely by myself…"

Yamada rolled his eyes, "Whatever. You usually have about 15 girls at the table, it's not like it's very easy to approach."

"Yeah, 15 girls. Exactly…"

Amu and Yamada picked up on the euphemism and began laughing. Rima still had a blank look on her face. They were interrupted when they heard a voice call, "Amu!"

They turned around to see Yua standing behind them. Amu waved her over, "Hey, Yua!"

"Hey, I didn't know you sat with Shouta."

"Yeah, well, things are bad with Tadase," she said.

Yua had a sympathetic look on her face, "I'm sorry. Mind if I join you guys?"

Yamada smiled, "Nah, sit down."

"So how do you know Shouta?" Yua asked.

"Well last night," Amu began. She paused, thinking about how that phrase sounded.

"Oh? You slept with him too?" She asked casually.

Rima's jaw dropped at the conversation and where it was going, "Amu…?"

"Umm…" Amu was unsure what she should say, "Have you slept with him?"

Yua also stayed silent for a moment, "Well, I guess that depends…"

Shouta took this opportunity to cut in, "I've slept with both of you. Does that make it easier?"

Rima gasped, "What…?"

"It's not like it sounds," Amu desperately told Rima. Rima was speechless at what she had just heard.

Shouta leaned into Rima's ear and whispered to her, "I'm gay."

Shocked, she froze for a moment. After that she decided the best course of action would be to scream at the top of her lungs, repeating what she just heard. As everyone at the table was staring at her, they all saw what was about to happen. Amu and Yua were frozen, and they had no idea what action to take. Shouta had just leaned back to his side of the table, and he had no time to react again. Yamada knew he couldn't let Rima scream; his best friend had gone to such lengths to hide his secret. They were sitting across the table from each other. He bought his hands to her cheeks and pushed his lips onto hers. Their lips connected just as she was about to scream. Her scream dissolved into nothingness as Yamada kept his lips pressed against hers. Everyone else at the table looked on with astonishment. The three of them were so shocked that they were speechless. After about 10 seconds Yamada pulled away from her. Both of them, too, were speechless. Everyone at the table sat still for a moment until they heard a scream from the table next to theirs.

"Oh my god!" the girls screamed, "Rima and Yamada kissed! This could be the school's new 'it' couple!"

The five of them who were sitting at the table were snapped into reality by their screams. Yamada was the first to speak again, "Oh, god… What have I done…?"

People came rushing over to their table screaming.

"Is it true you're dating?"

"Wow, they suit each other!"

"What, as if. That Yamada guy is ugly. Rima is our queen!"

Yamada was angered at that, "What the fuck did you just say?"

"Are you angry that I called you ugly?" The boy snickered.

"No, that's not what I'm angry about. About 2 weeks ago when all you fanboys learnt that Rima was a fan of comedy, you suddenly hated her, saying that her princess look was ruined. Now you're back to doting on her? You're so fickle, and it pisses me off! You obviously don't care about her at all!" Yamada was screaming.

The whole crowd was silenced. Amu took the opportunity to address the crowd, "Can you all go away? This is our private time and we'd appreciate if you didn't all crowd around us."

They stood their blankly. Yua screamed now, "Didn't you hear her? Piss off!"

The crowd began to dissipate. Before long the five of them were alone again.

Yamada had a guilty look on his face, "Listen, Rima. I'm really sorry… I just wanted to stop you from screaming, and the first thing that came to my mind was…"

"So it means nothing to you?" She asked, her anger rising.

"Well…"

"Of course it means nothing to you!" She yelled, "You've probably already slept with 10 girls. Well, I'm not a slut! That was my first kiss, and you just absolutely ruined it! I hate you!"

She stood up abruptly and pushed her chair at. She stormed off. Amu got up and ran after her, leaving only Yamada, Shouta and Yua at the table.

"You messed this one up big time, bro," Shouta told him.

"I know right. God, my second kiss in 2 days. Who knew I'd get my record in such a shitty way?"

Yua was quick to catch onto what he said, "You kissed someone yesterday? Who?"

Both Shouta and Yamada were silent, remembering their kiss last night. They both looked at the table.

"Oh my freaking god… Those girls thought you and Rima were a scandal. Being obsessed with that small scandal, they've missed the biggest scandal yet."

"Look, it was just out of pity," Shouta told her.

Yamada looked at Shouta, shocked, "Is that what you think of me? I'd kiss someone out of pity?"

"Well, how else do you explain it?"

"It was out of love. Just not a romantic love; a brotherly love."

"On the lips?" Yua was persistent in her questioning. A guilty look flashed across their faces, "Doesn't sound brotherly to me."

"Only one of us swings that way," Shouta assured her, "Anyway, you better make things right with Rima. She's gonna be bloody pissed."

"Yeah. I should go find her," Yamada told them as he stood up. His plan was foiled, however when the bell rang. "Damn it. I'll have to apologize at lunch."

"You'll need to do more than apologize," Yua told him. "You're a boy, you wouldn't understand her feelings. A first kiss means so much. Especially for a girl like Rima."

"What do you mean especially for a girl like Rima?" Yamada asked.

Yua smiled to herself that he had picked it up, "I'm not that nice that I'd straight out tell you. I've given you enough hints. You can figure the rest out by yourself."

* * *

><p>It didn't take long for Amu to catch up to Rima. She had never been good at sport. When Amu caught up to her she pulled on Rima's shoulder, forcing her to turn around.<p>

"Rima…"

"That wasn't my first kiss…" Rima told Amu guiltily, "I just said that so he'd feel guilty."

"What? Who did you kiss? Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"Well, you know. When I was kidnapped kissing was the best thing they did to me..."

"Never, ever call that a kiss. That was them forcing their lips onto you. That does not count as a kiss. A kiss is something shared between two people that care about each other."

"Well, by your logic Yamada and I didn't kiss."

"No, that was a kiss. Even if you don't love each other, you still care about each other. Even if it's just as friends for now."

Rima glared at Amu as she added in the 'for now'. "We're not friends, though."

"Please, Rima. You can't be so mad at him just for this that you wouldn't consider him a friend…"

"No, that's not what I mean. What I mean is that we were never really friends in the first place." Amu didn't understand what she meant. Rima noticed and so she decided she needed to explain herself, "Have you noticed I don't really talk to any of them that much even though we sit together at recess and lunch? My only real friend is you, Amu. They're just friends of my best friend. I'm sure that they think that way as well."

"That's not true," Amu told her sympathetically.

"You don't need to lie."

"I'm not lying. Everyone at that table considers you a friend." Rima scoffed, "I'm not lying, Rima. I'll prove it to you at lunch time."

It was at that moment that the bell rang. They both had sewing next so they began to walk to their class, "What are you going to do about Yamada?"

"What do you mean?" Rima asked.

"Well you'll obviously have to talk to him about the kiss."

"Why?"

"I told you before. You can't use me as an excuse to avoid your problems. You have to talk to other people about your problems. At lunch time you're going to talk to him alone."

"No," Rima stubbornly disagreed.

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"I'll make you a bet," Amu told her, "How about we do an anonymous survey of our table. We'll see who the people list as their best friends. I bet you you'll be on **every single **one of the lists."

"What's the wager?"

"If you're on every single list, you have to talk to Yamada alone. You have to truly talk about your feelings. If you're missing on even one list, you don't have to talk to him. I'll talk to him for you."

Rima smirked, "Deal."

The two walked into class and took their seats. They didn't discuss it any further. When sewing finished Amu had sport, so she said her goodbyes to Rima. They assured each other that they would win. When Amu got to the gym she went into the change room and changed into her sports clothes. When she exited she saw Yamada waiting outside the change room.

"Hey, how's Rima?"

"It bought up some bad memories for her," Amu told him.

"Does she still think of me as a friend?"

"That's the problem," Amu told him, "She never thought of you guys as friends to begin with. She thinks the feeling is mutual. The only one she considers a friend is me."

"What? That's ridiculous," he told her.

"I know right. Well my survey at lunch with prove her wrong."

"Survey?" Yamada's curiosity was peaked.

"I'm going to do a survey that shows everyone considers her a friend. We made a bet. If everyone considers her a friend, she'll talk to you alone about what happened at recess. If not then I have to talk to you for her."

"Thank you so much, Amu," Yamada told her.

"I'm doing this for both of you. She doesn't know how to communicate her feelings to anyone else. You have to teach her."

"Wow. Tough task…"

"I know you can do it. Take good care of her."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You both seemed pretty into the kiss. I'll leave it at that."

Yamada rolled his eyes, "You have a vivid imagination. I only think of her as a friend."

Amu pouted, "Damn. I'm not sure if she'll ever be able to open up to a boy… I'm really worried. She went on a date last night. The guy called it off since she didn't open up to him."

"Wow… that's bad…"

"Yeah. I want to find a guy that she can open up to. I'm sure if she opens up to a guy then he's the one."

"Well, I'm pretty sure it's not me. Rima would never open up to me…"

"Yeah, you're probably right…"

The two were interrupted when Mr. Anderson began talking.

* * *

><p>When lunch time came around Amu and Yamada made their way to the cafeteria together. Rima, Shouta and Yua were already sitting at the table when Yamada and Amu arrived. Amu took the opportunity to speak.<p>

"For art I need to draw something about friendship, so I have a survey I hoped you guys could fill out. You just need to write the names of some of your best friends. It's an anonymous survey."

"How will this help you draw?" Yua asked, confused.

"No, I can see how this could help," Shouta said, "I admire your method, Amu."

Amu wasn't really sure how this could actually help with art, but she needed an excuse to get them to fill in the survey. She handed out a form with space to fill in names to each of the people at the table.

"Don't look at other people's answers. And be honest. Remember, it's anonymous." They each reached into their bags and got out a pen. They began to fill in the forms. After about a minute they all handed their forms back to Amu, "Thanks guys. Anyway, I'm going to go to the toilet."

"As if I'm going to stay here with people who force themselves onto others," Rima said spitefully, "I'm coming with you."

Yamada wasn't sure how much of her words were an act, and how many she truly meant. Rima didn't seem like she was acting, though. Amu and Rima left the cafeteria together. As soon as they were outside Amu looked down at the surveys. They both stared at them as Amu flicked through. The first one had Rima's name. The second one had Rima's name. The third one had Rima's name. The two of them held their breath as Amu sat the fourth one on top of the pile. Their eyes scanned the names on the list. After their eyes got to the bottom Rima's mouth slowly turned upward into a smirk.

"I told you so. I win the bet."

Amu's smile also turned into a smirk, "Oh?"

"My name isn't on this list."  
>"That's right."<p>

"So, I win. Why are you smirking?"

"You think I don't know your writing by now?" Amu asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I asked you to fill out a survey so that way it wouldn't be suspicious. Of course, in order to win the bet you wouldn't put your own name on the survey. You're a good actor, so you could pretend it was someone else's survey. I know you Rima. I know the way you think, and I know your hand writing. You can't fool me."

She looked to the floor, "I lost…"

"No, you didn't lose. There was no loser. What you learnt was that everyone considers you a friend. That is never a loss."

Rima smiled at Amu's thinking, "Well I guess I should talk to Yamada, huh?"

"Yeah. It isn't a loss, though. You'll see that it'll be good for you."

Rima didn't say anything. The two of them walked back into the cafeteria and made their way back to their table.

"Umm… Yamada, can I talk to you privately?" Rima asked quietly. Yamada heard her, though and stood up.

"Sure, let's go outside shall we?"

The two began to walk away as Amu sat down. Yua and Shouta were surprised.

"You actually got her to talk to him?" Shouta asked.

"This could be interesting…"

"I think it'll go well," Amu told them confidently, "Don't you think they seem perfect for each other?" Shouta looked down as Amu said this and she immediately realised she had said the wrong thing. "Oh my god, Shouta. I'm so sorry. That was really insensitive of me…"

"No, it's fine. I think they're cute together. Don't worry about it. I know that he and I don't really match… I can't keep holding on to fantasies."

Yua sat next to Shouta and put her arm around his shoulder, "You'll find a guy one day."

"I don't know if I really will, though… I've never even met any other gay guys in my life… Let alone one that could put up with me."

Amu and Yua stared at him in amazement, "I'm so sorry…"

"No, I'm sorry. It's just that every time someone says that I'll find someone I can't help but feel hopeless. I don't know how people can have faith."

Amu smiled sadly, "I was told something once by a very smart person. Sometimes, no matter what anyone else says, no matter if all the evidence points in the opposite direction, sometimes there are things we know are true. Even if it's illogical, you know it's true. I know that you'll find someone."

"Thanks, Amu."

* * *

><p>Rima and Yamada were standing under a tree. They were both silent. Yamada spoke up first, "Well. First of all, I want to apologize. Shouta is really my best friend. I couldn't let something like that happen."<p>

"No, its fine," Rima told him, "It just bought up some bad memories."

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Yamada asked.

"Well I've never told anyone except for Amu…"

"Well, it's a good time to step out of your comfort zone then, hey?"

"But…"

"No buts. I want to be closer to you, Rima. Please, don't close yourself off."

"Well… It was before I transferred to this school. I used to walk to school and one day I was kidnapped."

Yamada had shock written all over his face, "I'm so sorry."

"That's not the worst of it. I was abused…"

Yamada gasped at her confession, "Oh my god…"

"And then instead of caring for me, my parents were too worried about whose fault it was. They got a divorce."

A lone tear began to build in her eye as she continued, "Neither of them wanted me. After all, I had caused the argument in the first place. So, I was abandoned."

Yamada embraced her. He just held her in his arms. There was no need for words.

"Well, it was nice to talk to someone," Rima told him.

"See? I hope you'll confide in me more often."

"I doubt it. I think this was enough…"

Rima let go of him and stepped away. She turned around and thoughts began to flow through Yamada's head. He remembered what Amu had told him earlier. _"__I'm sure if she opens up to a guy then he's the one." _That's what she had told him. His thoughts began to race. She had had just told him perhaps the biggest secret of her life. This was his chance, the only one anyone may ever get for a long time, to get Rima to open up.

"Wait!" He called out. Rima turned around.  
>"What is it?" She asked.<p>

"Please… I really want to be closer to you, Rima." He was almost begging by now.

"I can't. I'm not ready to become close to people again… Amu is special. I think you understand; you would kiss someone for your best friend. I would do anything for her. She's special. I'm not ready for a relationship like that with other people, though."

"Please, go out with me."

"What…?"

"I enjoyed kissing you… You're a really nice girl. I want to be closer to you. Please, would you go out with me?"

"I can't. I've lost my faith I guess you could say."

"You have to try, though. If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."

"I love that quote…"

"If it doesn't work out, then so be it. At least you'll have stepped out of your comfort zone. Hopefully, no matter what happens, I'll be able to teach you something."

"I really want to learn. I don't know if I can, though. I'm too scarred."

"Nobody is ever too scarred. Everybody has a second chance. That second chance is now. Will you go out with me?"

"Yes. I'll go out with you."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: WELL, I bet you were all dying to see how that turned out! Looks like it all worked out for the best! No cliffies this chapter… XD I could have just been evil and cut off that last line, but I decided to be nice.**

**So, Shouta is gay! And he likes Yamada! Bet you didn't see that one coming! Poor little Shouta, though. Just after he confesses the guy he likes is gonna start going out with someone else T_T**

**Very much a Rima-centric chapter! She opened up to Yamada and told him about her past… Will they actually be able to maintain a relationship, though, or will she close herself off again?**

**The latest couple; Yamada and Rima! Will they stay together? Will they break up? Do you like this couple at all? Tell me all your thoughts!**

Thanks for reading, don't forget to leave a review. See you next chapter! By the way, just a little teaser… The next chapter is the court chapter!


	23. Chapter 21: Symbol Chara

**Chapter 21: Symbol Chara **

On Saturday morning Amu made her way to the royal garden. It was where they had decided to meet. When she entered she saw Tsukasa, Kairi, Utau and Rima standing there already. Yamada was standing next to Rima.

"Oh, hey Yamada."

"I assumed Tadase and Yaya weren't coming," Rima began, "I thought we could use some support."

"Well, shall we get going? I'll drive, of course," Tsukasa joked to lighten the mood. They smiled as they followed him out of the royal garden and into his car. They mostly talked about the trial on the way to the courthouse. It had finally dawned on them all how big this really was. They were going up against Easter. Easter would probably have the best lawyers in the country. Despite their evidence, it would still be hard. It probably wouldn't be solved in the initial hearing.

When they arrived at the courthouse they sat down together on a bench waiting to go into the room. When it was finally their turn they entered the court room and Amu, Utau, Rima and Tsukasa took their place at the prosecution's stand. Yamada and Kairi wished them luck and sat in the rows of seats for observers. The judge who was sitting at the front stood up and began talking.

"I'm sorry; there will be no outsiders for this hearing. Please leave immediately," he said to Yamada and Kairi.

"What… why?" Kairi asked.

"We try to separate law and media speculation. Opening a case like this to the media would just be madness. This is a final call, please leave immediately."

"Can I say goodbye?" Yamada asked.

"Go ahead, you have 1 minute."

Yamada ran up to the other four. He hugged Rima, "Good luck guys. I know you can win. I'll be sitting outside the whole time, waiting for you."

"Yeah, good luck guys. I know you can do it," Kairi told them.

"Thank you, Yamada," Rima told him sweetly. Amu and Utau couldn't help but smile at the scene. They were so cute together, it was almost picture perfect.

Yamada let go of Rima and left the court room. After he and Kairi left the four heard the side door open. In through the door entered an old man. His bone structure seemed to make his face predispositioned to look evil.

"That's the director of Easter," Utau told them softly.

"He's the one behind everything?" Rima asked.

"Yep, that's him," Utau assured them.

Standing beside the director was a young man who they assumed to be his lawyer. They took their place at the defendants stand and sat down. The judge began talking.

"Case 5694685. Personal trial – initial trial. For the prosecution is Amakawa Tsukasa. The defendant is Hoshina Kazuomi. We will start with initial statements. The prosecution will begin."

Tsukasa stood up and he began talking fluently. The words flowed out of his mouth naturally. He spoke of how the prosecution had uncovered Easter's plot to usurp the government. They had discovered that the director of Easter, Hoshina Kazuomi, was corrupt and was not fit to run a company. When he finished talking he sat down and the judge called the defence lawyer to talk. The defence lawyer rebutted Tsukasa's statements, saying that the prosecution were merely children. They were stuck in a fantasy story. Something like this wouldn't happen in real life. He told the judge they would prove that it is nothing more than a stunt for attention.

"Well, now I have heard both initial statements, we will begin with the evidence. Remember this is an initial trial. We only have an hour; please present only your best evidence. I really want to avoid this going public, for everyone's sake. The prosecution will present evidence first."

Tsukasa stood again, "I'd like to call Hoshina Utau to the stand."

Utau stood up and made her way to the witness stand. As she sat in the seat she was suddenly very nervous. She knew exactly what she needed to say, though. She still couldn't help but feel nervous. The fate of this trial really came down to her.

"I'll skip the pleasantries," Tsukasa told them, "You've worked under Easter for four years, correct?"

"Yes."

"And in that time, has the director shown any signs of corruption?"

"Yes, many. I've seen people in the company pushed into unfair contracts up to 15 years long. Sometimes that part of the contract is omitted before it was signed, and only revealed after the person is locked into a ridiculous contract. I've heard the supervisors discussing plans from the director to harm other people in order to benefit the company. Additionally, I've seen someone locked in a cell…"

"Who was that?" Tsukasa asked her.

"My brother, Tsukiyomi Ikuto."

"All this time, have you uncovered any physical evidence that ties the director to any corrupt actions?"

"Yes. One time I was in the director's office we began to talk about his plan for world domination. I had a sound recording device left on me from when I was recording. I analysed the voice on the sound recording device."

"Do you have the recording and the results?"

"Yes, I have a memory card which contains all the results as well as the recording."

"The prosecution requests permission to use the electronic screen to show results and so that the recording can be heard."

"Permission granted," the judge told him.

Utau handed the memory card to him and he inserted it in the machine. He pushed a few buttons and sound began playing. Everyone in the room was silent as they listened to the recording. It was exactly as the conversation had gone that day in his office.

"Would you show us the results of the voice analysis?" Tsukasa requested.

"Of course. I amplified his voice in the recording, and reduced the background noise so that it was solely his voice which was being analysed. I compared the recording to a sample which is confirmed to be his. There was a 99.7% voice match."

"How do you know that the voice sample you compared it to was his?"

"Those files cannot be altered by anyone except the director himself. He has certified that every file on there is an accurate voice recording of the person. In other words, he has admitted that is a voice recording of himself."

"The prosecution is finished with this witness," Tsukasa told the judge as he made his way back to the prosecution desk and sat down.

"Does the defence wish to cross examine?"

"Yes, we do your honour," the lawyer said as he stood up, "Hoshina Utau, is it true that this voice recording is the only physical evidence that ties the defendant to the crime?"

"Well, yes but-"

She was cut off by the defence lawyer, "Ah."

"You only need to answer the question asked," the judge told her.

She closed her eyes briefly and took a deep breath in. As she opened her eyes she breathed out, "Yes, it's true."

"Was this recording taken last Saturday, 25th of June?"

"Yes."

"Thank you. At the beginning of the recording you stated you work for Easter, is that true?"

"Of course, I've worked for Easter for the past 4 years."

"Well, I'm sorry to inform you but the Easter record shows that you were fired last week on Friday the 24th. That was a day before this recording was taken. You took this recording under the guise of an Easter worker. As such, this recording was obtained by fraud. The defence moves for this recording and all associated evidence to be dismissed, and for a full dismissal of the case."

"Objection!" Tsukasa shouted, "Under the fair work act works must be told at least a week in advance before they are terminated."

The judge now spoke, "Utau, were you notified about your termination?"

"No, I even attended work on Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th."

The defence lawyer began to speak again, "Ever since December 15th last year Utau's contract has been 7 days a week. Under the fair work act section 37.1 subsection J, any worker who misses more than 3 consecutive days of work without notice is subject to immediate termination. The witness has missed 5 days a week every single week since February."

"Does the defence possess the contract?" The judge asked.

"We do, your honour," the defence lawyer told him as he walked back over to his desk. He picked up a piece of paper and handed it to the judge. The judges eyes read over the words.

"The only time I agreed to work 7 days a week was during the holidays… I didn't agree to work 7 days a week after school went back," Utau told the judge, a begging manner in her voice.

"Your contract only says you are changing your position to a permanent 7 day a week career. It does not state it is temporary," the lawyer told her.

"He is correct," the judge told them, "You were in a seven day contract this whole time, Miss Hoshina. Since you missed more than 3 consecutive days without notice, you were subject to immediate termination. You were terminated on Friday the 24th. On Saturday the 25th you gained the recording under the guise of an Easter employee. This is fraud. As such, any and all evidence obtained by Hoshina Utau while under the guise of an Easter employee after the 24th of June will be dismissed. This includes the recording and related evidence. However, since Miss Utau was not aware of her termination, the defence will not be permitted to pursue fraud charges. Do you have any other physical evidence, Mr. Amakawa?"

"We have witness statements," he began.

"Physical evidence," the judge repeated.

"No… we do not."

"Due to the lack of physical evidence, the charges against the defendant will be dropped. This case is finished."

The words just kept repeating in Amu's head. They had lost? How could they lose? The audition was this Tuesday. The school was pretty much theirs now. The four of them gathered together and begin to walk out of the court room. They remained in silence as they walked out of the room, their heads hung. Tsukasa opened the door and the other three walked out first before Tsukasa followed them out. As Yamada saw them he excitedly got out of his seat and rushed over to them. Kairi too stood up from his seat and walked over to the group. They saw them silent, their heads hung. Realisation swept their faces. Yamada bought them in for a group hug.

"It's alright guys… there'll be another chance in the future," he assured them.

They heard the door open from behind them. The director and his lawyer walked out. They walked past the group and began to walk away.

Utau yelled out, "Why did you do it? Didn't you want me as your symbol? That's ruined now. You obviously knew we were going to do this since you fired me before we had the conversation, why didn't you just not speak about your plan?"

He turned around and he had that same smug, evil look on his face, "I wanted to teach you a lesson. No matter what evidence you get, it won't work. You can never bring us down. Besides, Easter doesn't need you as a symbol anymore. We've decided on a new symbol."

"Who?!" Utau shouted, demanding to know. He simply smirked as he turned around and began to walk away, "Don't just walk away!"

Tsukasa touched her shoulder, indicating for her to stop, "In the end, you got what you wanted, right? You're out of Easter."

Amu realised that what Tsukasa said was true, "That's true. This time I was thinking that we had lost, we hadn't bought Easter down. But really, we haven't lost anything. Well, Easter is still on the loose, but it was like that before we stared. We haven't actually lost anything. But, we definitely have gained something. Utau is free now, she can sing to make people happy. She no longer has to sing to benefit Easter anymore. In the end, we're the real winners."

The others smiled after Amu finished talking. They shared another group hug.

* * *

><p>Amu felt a sense of dread as she and Ami walked to Easter's training academy the next day. What would they do since Amu had blatantly tried to defy them? As she and Ami walked into the building a security guard quickly came up to them. Amu felt the little confidence she had left be crushed into nothingness.<p>

"You're Hinamori Amu and Ami, right?" he asked. Amu could only nod, "Follow me. The director wishes to speak to you two."

They walked behind him as he led them out of the building and into Easter's main building. They entered the elevator and it began to rise. As it got higher and higher Amu's sense of dread and hopelessness began to rise, too. As they arrived on the floor Amu took a deep breath before she and Ami followed the security guard out of the elevator. The three walked down the hallway in silence. The security guard opened the door at the end, and indicated for Amu and Ami to go in. Amu stepped in and Ami followed behind her. They saw the director look up from his desk as they walked in.

"Ahh… welcome. I've been waiting for you two."

Amu gulped. What would he do to them?

"I have a surprise for you."

Amu's heart skipped a beat.

"Sit down," he told them as he gestured towards the two seats which were on the side of his desk closest to Amu and Ami. The two of them sat down, facing the director. There was only a single desk separating them now, "Well... do you want to know what your surprise is?"

Amu had cold sweat beginning to build on her forehead now. He had a truly evil face, and he planned to take over the world. He would probably have no regrets killing two little girls.

"I want to tell you that you two have been chosen to be Easter's symbol."

Amu's eyes widened, "What…?"

"Yes, due to an unfortunate incident with our previous candidate, we have had to select a new symbol. We decided that instead of just one symbol, we wanted a pair. You two are sisters, so that symbolises family. That is the side of Easter that we want to portray to the public. Plus, you can both sing extremely well."

"What does this mean, sissy?" Ami asked.

"Umm…" Amu didn't know how to answer her.

"You'll be famous; you'll be the top star of the whole of Easter."

"Famous?!" Ami asked excitedly.

"Yes, you and your sister together."

"Sissy!" She yelled as she jumped out of her seat and hugged Amu.

"Since you're going to be Easter's symbol you'll need to practice a lot. I'm sorry about this, Amu, but you'll need to train 7 days a week at Easter's training academy. You'll have to quit your school."

"What…? But our only housing arrangement is with the school. We'll have nowhere to go."

"We aren't evil. We'll provide you two with a dorm. It's yours."

"I can't do that…" Amu said slowly, "I have all my friends at my school."

"Which is more important, your friends or your sisters life?" He asked.

Amu gasped at what he was suggesting, "What…?"

"This is your sister's dream, right? You're not only choosing your destiny, but also hers," he explained.

Amu knew better, though. He had meant the double meaning. The bad part, though, is that Amu believed that it could happen.

"I assume you'll take up my offer?"

"Yes…" Amu told him reluctantly, "But, please, please, can I start when the next school term would start?"

"Well, since I'm a benevolent person, I'll allow it."

* * *

><p>The next morning after she dropped Ami off Amu began to walk to school. How would she tell everyone? Should she tell them? Should she hide it? Thoughts like these kept repeating in Amu's head as she walked to school. When she entered her form class she noticed Tadase was already in the classroom. Wanting to consult someone she made her way over to the desk at which he was sitting and was about to start talking.<p>

"Don't bother," he told her, "You destroyed me, Amu. Even looking at you makes me sick. How could you do that to me…?"

Amu felt extremely sympathetic as he expressed his disdain towards her, "I'm so sorry."

"I told you, don't bother."

Amu decided to let it be and she sat in her seat at the front of the class room. She reached into her bag and pulled out her file. She sat it on the desk and it made a loud crash.

"Woah, ever heard of gently?" Amu heard a voice say from next to her. She looked up to see Yamada and Rima. As Amu saw her best friend standing there she couldn't help but feel relieved. Amu stood up and hugged Rima.

"What is it?" Rima asked, concerned.

"Can we just stay like this for a minute?" She asked quietly.

"Sure…" Rima told her.

Yamada got the message and he left to go sit in his own seat. More people began coming in, but Amu didn't even care. She kept hugging Rima. When the bell rang Amu finally let go. Rima, however, leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "Let's talk in the royal garden at recess."

Amu simply nodded and at that moment Nikaido walked into the room. The two sat down and Nikaido began talking. He spoke about the Easter auditions. He told them that everyone would sing, dance or act. They'll choose up to four people that they'll recruit as trainees. If they were really good, they would even offer the people full-time training and pay for a dorm for them. People in the class began to get chatter, speaking excitedly about the information they'd just heard.

* * *

><p>When recess came around Amu and Rima met at the royal garden. Rima hugged Amu and asked her what was wrong.<p>

"You know how the director of Easter said he found a new symbol for Easter?"

Rima gasped, "It couldn't be…"

"It's Ami and I. Together we're going to be the symbol of Easter… I can't do it. How can I be the symbol of something so evil…?"

"Then don't do it."

"He threatened to kill Ami if I didn't… I believe his threats."

Rima gasped, "K-kill?"

"I have to do it… And I need to quit school. I have to train at Easter 7 days a week."

"What…? Amu…" Rima hugged her again, tightening her embrace, "It'll be okay. I'll always be here for you."

"Not when I'm at Easter. I'll be there 7 days a week. We won't even be able to see each other…"

"That's not true," Rima assured her, "You're the best friend I've ever had. I'll do anything to make sure it stays that way."

Tears began to fall from Amu's eyes, "Thank you, Rima…"

"Well, let's talk about something nicer shall we? I heard about your bet with Yamada."

Amu giggled, remembering the thought, "Yeah. I'm totally going to win. Then he'll have to dress as a girl."

Rima began to laugh, "Can you imagine?" After they stopped laughing Amu's expression fell again. "Hey, don't worry. No matter what happens we'll get through it together."

"I was just thinking about my dad. I have to confront him tomorrow…"

"Well, you already know what you're doing about that, remember? Just sing your heart out."

"Yeah, you're right. I guess the song I'm singing has another meaning now."

"You can say that again," Rima told her.

"Well, I don't want to think about that at the moment. How are you and Yamada going?"

"Well…" Rima began.

"That doesn't sound good."

"Well, he's so sweet. He's anything anyone could ask for… but I just can't open up to him."

"You obviously opened up to him about the trial, since he came with us," Amu told her.

"Yeah, but that wasn't really something personal… I'm still not ready to tell him anything personal. Not like I can talk to you."

"Well, I think he's willing to wait," Amu said.

"How do you know?"

"There are some things in life that you just know," Amu told her.

"It's just… I want to change. I want to be able to open up to him."

"One day you'll be able to," Amu assured her.

* * *

><p>That lunch time Rima was sitting in the same place she had been at recess. This time, though, it was Yamada who was sitting opposite her.<p>

"You're so beautiful," he told her.

Rima brushed it off. He told her that all the time. She wasn't beautiful. She was too short and stubby. Plus, beauty is what's on the inside right? She definitely didn't have a beautiful inside.

"I think we should break up," Rima told him, her voice unwavering.  
>Yamada gulped. A look of devastation came across his face, "Why…?"<p>

"It's not you, it's me."

"Don't fuck around!" Yamada yelled, "What did I do wrong…?"

"Honestly, it's not you. I am just not ready to open up to someone else…"

"I can wait…" Yamada told her.

"We don't have long," she said cryptically.

"What do you mean…? I'll wait as long as we need…"

"Amu is quitting the school to do full time training at Easter's academy next term. She was forced into it. I'm going with her. I'm going to audition at Easter's audition, and I'm going to own that stage. They'll have no choice but to give me the sponsorship. She's my best friend, I owe her this much."

"But, Rima…"

"No… When I leave, it's all going to be over anyway. I'm sorry, Yamada. It's over," Rima stood up and began to walk away. Yamada sat where he was, frozen. He was powerless to stop her as she just walked away.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry, I know I was supposed to update last weekend. I just couldn't get to it. Plus, sorry it's such a short chapter! Didn't even realise it was so short.  
><strong>

**Well, that relationship was over fairly quick! But Yamada isn't giving up just yet.**

**So Utau is free of Easter, but Amu is getting reeled in further and further… Rima is going to audition for Easter?! They'll be accepting up to four people. Who will audition for Easter, and who will make it in?**

**Amu is going to be leaving Seiyo Academy and going full time at Easter, potentially along with four other characters! Things are heating up as the story spirals towards the climax of the 2****nd**** arc! There's only 3 chapters of the 2****nd**** arc left! **

**Thanks for reading, please review! See you next week! **


	24. Chapter 22: Easter's Chara

**Chapter 22: Easter's Chara **

As Amu arrived at school the next morning Yua was quick to call her over. They went to the auditorium and backstage where Suzuki was waiting.

"We're performing at 9:00," Suzuki told them.

"Are you both confident about your lines? After all Utau had to pull out," Amu asked.

"Yep, I'm fine," Yua told her.

"Of course. The show must go on," Suzuki told her.

Time passed slowly as they sat nervously back stage. They checked the time every minute. After what seemed like an eternity they heard people entering the auditorium. Yua quickly peeked out from behind the curtains. She quickly pulled her head back, "Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. It's definitely the whole school…"

"Don't worry," Amu comforted her as he put her hand on her shoulder, "Just remember why you're singing here today."

"Yeah, you're right," Yua said as she calmed down a little. Even after everyone was seated, it seemed to be an eternity before finally the three of them heard someone talking into the microphone. They looked out to see it was Mrs. Sanjo.

"We'd like to welcome everyone to the audition for Easter. We'll call people up onto stage in random order. When you're called just come up and announce what your act is, and go ahead and perform. The judges for today are myself, Easter director himself Hoshina Kazuomi and head vocal instructor, Mr. Halse. We thought that you'd all be pretty nervous, so we prepared an opening act. There are actually some very talented students at this school who are already part of Easter, so they'll be doing the opening act. Please welcome to the stage Sakurai Yua, Suzuki Seiichiro and Hinamori Amu."  
>Hearing their names, the three of them walked out onto stage, each holding a microphone in their hand. They all stayed silent for a moment, staring into the crowd. The whole school was currently sitting in front of them. They all suddenly became very nervous. Amu nudged Yua, who snapped out of her trance, took a step forward and began to talk, "Hi everyone. We'll be singing as a trio. We all thought long about what song we wanted to sing. I chose this song since I wanted to show everyone that I am a truly talented singer. As many of you may know, I'm a professional model. I want to show everyone that I'm not just a pretty face, though. I can sing, too."<p>

Suzuki now took a step forward so he was level with Yua and he began to speak into the microphone now, "Lately, I've been getting bullied a lot, being called gay and a fag. I chose this song because I wanted to show everyone that no matter what you do to me, I'll get back up again. You won't get me down."

Amu stepped forward and began to speak, "A lot of things have happened to me recently. Someone came back into my life for the first time in a long time." She looked through the audience and saw her father sitting at the front. They locked eyes, "This song is dedicated to you. Also, yesterday I was told that I'm being forced to do something against my will." Amu now turned her eyes towards the judges' desk. She stared at the director directly in the eyes and began to talk again, "This is dedicated to you, too. I've sung this song so many times, and I've practiced it and practiced it. People always told me, though, that there was something missing. An emotion I didn't nail. These events that have happened to me lately, they helped me find this emotion. So, to anyone out there who thinks they can bring me down, this song is dedicated to you."

She stopped talking and the music began playing. There was silence throughout the auditorium as the music rumbled softly. Yua stepped forward as she began to sing.

**Yua: **_Something has changed within me, something is not the same, I'm through with playing by the rules of someone else's game. _

**Amu: **_Too late for second guessing, too late to go back to sleep_

As Amu stepped forward and sung her voice offered a new sound. Yua had sung with a soft voice. Amu sung with a sharp edge to her voice.

**Seiichiro: **_it's time to trust my instincts close my eyes and leap, It's time to try defy-ing gravity, I think I'll try defy-ing gravity, and you can't pull me down._

As he sung the first chorus he hit all of the high notes perfectly. His voice projected throughout the auditorium.

**Yua: **_I'm through accepting limits, 'cause someone says they're so, _

Yua's voice had changed. As she sung this time she had a demanding tone.

**Seiichiro: **_some things I cannot change but till I try I'll never know. Too long I've been afraid of losing love I guess I've lost. _

**Yua: **_Well if that's love it comes at much too high a cost. I'd sooner buy, defy-ing gravity, kiss me good-bye I'm defy-ing gravity, and you can't pull me down._

As she sung the chorus she closed her eyes. She managed to hit every high note, although her voice got quieter as she did. The judges could tell that she wasn't as experienced as Seiichiro was.

**Amu: **_Just you and I defy-ing gravity, With you and I defy-ing gravity, They'll never bring us down._

As Amu sung, she belted out all of the high notes. It was a different style to the one which Yua and Seiichiro. As she belted out the notes she poured out her emotions. Images of her father and Easter flashed through her head.

**Yua: **_So if you care to find me, look to the western sky,_

**Amu:**_ As someone told me lately, everyone deserves the chance to fly, _

**Seiichiro: **_And if I'm flying solo, at least I'm flying free_

**Amu: **_to those who ground me take a message back from me,_

**All: **_Tell them how I'm defy-ing gravity, I'm flying high, defying gravity, and soon I'll match them in renown._

The three harmonised perfectly. Their timing was perfect, their pitch was perfect.

**Amu: **_Nobody in all of Oz, no wizard that there is or was is ever gonna bring me down,_

As Amu belted out her last note she stepped forward, closed her eyes and pushed her hands out as far as they could go. She belted the note with every emotion she had in her body. Everyone in the audience stared with amazement.

**Yua:**_ bring me down,_

After Amu belted her note, Yua stepped forward past Amu, pushing Amu into the background. She held the microphone close to her mouth as she belted out the note. Her voice was more powerful than it had been before.

**Seiichiro:**_ OOOOOH!_

Seiichiro finally stepped forward and belted out his last note. As he sung chills ran down the judges' spines. He sounded so angelic, but so wicked at the same time. None of them understand how he could do it. After he belted out his note the audience stayed silent for a moment before they erupted into applause. It was the loudest applause the three of them had ever heard. They lined up and all bowed at the same time before running off stage.

* * *

><p>About an hour had passed since the auditions had started. Amu, Yua, Seiichiro, Rima, Hitomi and You Ebihara were all sitting together. Hitomi and You Ebihara had already performed. Hitomi and You had performed a duet and left the auditorium speechless with their opera voices. There had not been any other outstanding acts yet. There were quite a few good ones that had passed, though. A boy just finished singing and the judges passed him. Mrs. Sanjo leaned into the microphone and announced the next act, "Mashiro Rima."<p>

Amu was speechless as she heard Rima's name called out. She stood up and began to walk down the steps to the stage.

Amu, too stood out and screamed out, "Why?! Rima?!"

"I'm doing this for you, Amu," She said, not turning around. She stepped up the steps onto the stage.

"What will your act be?" Mrs. Sanjo asked.

"I'm singing a song dedicated to my best friend, Amu. I'm going to sing it so damn bloody well that you're going to beg me to become a part of Easter."

The judges were blown away, "You seem confident."

"I am. This one is for you, Amu," She spoke into the microphone, "I'm going to get into Easter and support you, like a best friend should."

She sung 'As Long as you're there' by Charice. She nailed every high note and her angelic voice rung throughout the stadium. As she finished singing she looked directly into the judges eyes.

"That was a truly beautiful performance. You have an amazing gift."

Mrs. Sanjo spoke next, "Do I even need to say anything?"

Kazuomi spoke finally, "You were definitely amazing. In fact, I think we can give you one of the spots right now. We initially decided we were going to decide who we would recruit out after we heard everyone, but I'm confident that you'll get one anyway."

Rima smiled a fake-sweet smile at the judges, "Thank you so much."

As she walked off the stage Mrs. Sanjo spoke up again, "Our next performer must be bummed. Living up to that one will be hard. Our next performer is Yamada."

Rima stopped in the aisle as she heard his name called. He got up from his seat and as he walked towards the stage he passed by her. He didn't say anything as he passed by; he only grabbed her hand and led her up to the stage. There were gasps throughout the audience as he did.

"I'm going to be singing a song. It's dedicated to my girlfriend, Rima."

She blushed but snapped her hand away from his.

He sung 'Just the way you are,' by Bruno Mars. As he was singing, he wrapped an arm around Rima, who didn't remove it. He was going very well, and as he got towards the last two notes he braced himself. He knew that it would all come down to the final high notes. He sung them as best as he could, and did a good job. The judges would be able to tell he was reaching, though.

After he finished, Rima wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer towards her. She leaned in towards him and pressed her lips to his. Yamada was shocked, and didn't know how to react. After a few seconds Rima pulled away and the two of them faced the judges.

Mrs. Sanjo spoke first, "Nothing much to say really. You rocked the song."

Mr Halse spoke up now, "The high notes were obviously difficult for you, but it's nothing that couldn't be changed with sufficient practice."

Kazuomi spoke last, "I guess the other judges said everything."

Yamada shouted in joy and he and Rima held hands as they celebrated. After the cheering died down the two of them walked off the stage and walked back to where the whole group was sitting. Rima simply glared at Shouta when she saw that he was sitting in her seat. He chuckled before shuffling over a seat. This time it was Yamada's turn to glare at him and he moved over one more seat. Rima sat down next to Amu, and Yamada sat down next to her.

"Congratulations," Amu told them.

"I told you we'll always stay together," Rima told her.

"It's not over yet," Yamada added in, "Despite the fact that they gave positive feedback, I don't know if I'll end up getting in…"

"Psh, you were awesome bro," Shouta told him.

"I dunno. Hitomi and You were both better than me…"

Hitomi and You heard their names from the other side of Amu and they tuned into the conversation. You began to speak, "Nah, you were awesome mate. Besides I wasn't that good, I was more like Hitomi's accompaniment."

Hitomi blushed, "No… I'm not that great. You two were awesome."

Amu scoffed, "You owned the stage Hitomi. I'm sure that you'll get in."

She blushed again, "Coming from you, that's a great compliment. Thank you Amu…"

"What do you mean by that?" Amu asked.

"You're one of the best singers I've met. Being complimented by you is an honour."

Amu smiled at her sweetly, "Thanks."

The group sat through the performances until finally they were down to the last 5 performances. The first performance of the final five was Yaya. Amu was shocked when she heard Yaya's name called out. She watched as Yaya got up from her seat and walked up onto the stage.

"What'll you be showing us?" Mrs. Sanjo asked.

"Well I think I'll be the only one today that is going to be dancing and singing at the same time," Yaya told them.

"Oh?" Mrs. Sanjo was intrigued, "You think you can still sing properly while you're dancing?"

"I don't think I can, I know I can," Yaya told them confidently.

She stepped onto the centre of the stage and the dance club came rushing in from the sides to act as backup dancers.

"I'm singing Halo, by Beyonce. I hope you enjoy it."

She sung the song very well, all while dancing. Her dancing was significantly easier than the rest of the dance club, due to the fact she was singing, too. However, it was still amazing. Amu knew from experience that it was **not **an easy thing to do. Not to mention that Halo was a very technically difficult song. After she finished the dance club rushed off the side and she bowed and faced the judges.

"That was a truly inspiring performance. As the director of Easter, I'm telling you that was absolutely amazing. It usually takes years of practice to be able to sing and dance at the same time. You have earned your spot! Congratulations Yaya!" He shouted.

Everyone in the auditorium erupted with applause again. This time, though it died down more quickly. Yaya thanked them before heading off the stage and making her way over to where Amu was sitting while the next person was called up to the stage. Instead of heading back to her original seat Yaya made her way over to where Amu was sitting. Amu was shocked to see her approaching.

Yaya began talking before Amu had a chance, "I'm so sorry I overreacted. You're my best friend, Amu. I hope you don't hate me."

Amu smiled sweetly as she stood up and hugged Yaya, "Of course I don't hate you. I was the one in the wrong. I know that I can trust you now. I promise I won't hide things from you again."

"Thanks, Amu. Yaya has been lonely these past days."

"Yeah, I've missed you Yaya. Ami has too. By the way, that was an amazing performance."

"Thanks, Amu."

Amu smiled. The two of them totally ignored the performance as they hugged each other. The rest of the group smiled as they looked on. Almost all was perfect. Their moment was interrupted, though, when Amu saw her father walking down the aisle, coming towards her. She diverted her eyes, but he still inched closer to her. Step by step his feet came down the stairs. Amu zoned out from the performance, she could hear the sounds of his feet as they touched the stairs.

"Excuse me…" Amu told them bleakly. She looked as if she was about to be sick. Amu began to walk through the row, past everyone was trying to keep their eyes on the stage. Some cursed at her. She didn't hear it though. All she could hear was the sound of her own footsteps, quickening. The sound of her father's footsteps, quickening. No matter how fast she told her legs to walk up the stairs, she could still hear her father's footsteps matching her pace. After she got out of the auditorium she turned around. He was standing there. She almost screamed in fear, "Why are you following me?"

"I want to talk to you…" he told her softly.

"Didn't my song say it all?" Amu asked.

"I know I was in the wrong. I know I did bad by you. But was I so wrong that we can't even talk again?"

"Yes, it was," Amu told him, "You have no idea what happened to me after you left."

"Then why don't you tell me about it?"

Amu decided to indulge him, "Okay then, I will. After my own father and mother viciously abandoned me and my sister we were left to live out on the street. We starved to the point I ended up fainting from lack of food. I almost died but was rescued by a man who looked after us. He taught me to live again. I was finally enjoying life for the first time when he abused me. And you wanna know something? Up until recently I hated myself for what you all did to me. I blamed myself for everything. Now, though, I've learnt to love myself. I know that I'm a much better person than any of you ever were."

He was silent, frozen. What could anyone do in that situation?

"Now if you don't mind, it's probably the final performance by now," and with that Amu turned around. She walked back into the booming auditorium, never once looking back. Just like that, she was gone. As Amu walked back in she saw that someone was just getting off the stage. She made her way back to her seat and when Yaya saw her she pouted.

"You missed it. Kairi was acting a scene from some Samurai movie," She said excitedly.

"Oh, did he do well?" Amu asked.

"Yeah, he rocked," Rima told her, "He totally seemed like another person."

"It was awesome. He even swung his sword around really, really fast and it looked like he was about to kill himself," Yamada added in.

Amu cringed at the thought.

They were interrupted when Mrs. Sanjo spoke into the microphone, "Now, it's finally time for our final performance of the night. I'm sure it'll be a good one, too. Everyone, welcome to the stage Hotori Tadase!"

"Tadase…" Amu mumbled to herself.

"Why…?" Yaya asked under her breath.

"Him of all people?" Rima said, her voice unbelieving.

Nevertheless, despite their shock they saw Tadase get up from his seat and walk up to the stage. As he walked up onto the stage someone quickly came from backstage to put a stool on the stage before running off again. When Tadase got up onto the stage he was given a microphone and then he sat down onto the stool.

"So what are you doing?" Mrs. Sanjo asked.

"I'm singing. This song represents so much to me. At every step of my life I've lost someone. It wasn't always death… I've lost so many friends. I didn't know how to save their life. But right now one of my best friends needs my help. I can save her life right now, I can help her. In the past, I could never save anyone. Now, I have this chance, I'm not going to let it go. I promise you Mrs. Sanjo, Kazuomi, I'll get into easter."

"Well, go ahead," Mrs. Sanjo told him.

_Step one you say we need to talk, he walks you say sit down it's just a talk. He smiles politely back at you, you stare politely right on through. Some sort of window to your right, as he goes left and you stay right between the lines of fear and blame. You begin to wonder why you came_

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend somewhere along in the bitterness. And I would have stayed up with you all night had I known how to save a life

As he began to sing the chorus he closed his eyes. His mind flashed to his parents. Arguing. Screaming. Hitting. Walking away. Leaving. Tears began to form in his eyes as he finished singing the chorus. He blinked a few times to try and force the tears back.

Let him know that you know best, 'cause after all you do know best. Try to slip past his defence, without granting innocence. Lay down a list of what is wrong, the things you've told him all along and pray to God he hears you. And pray to God he hears you

Tadase looked out into the audience as he began to sing the verse. He quickly located Amu. Their eyes locked. He didn't look away once while he sung the verse.

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend. Somewhere along in the bitterness and I would have stayed up with you all night had I known how to save a life

As the chorus came up his eyes turned away. He looked past the audience, looking at the back of the auditorium. His mind flashed to thoughts of his grandma. As he remembered her dead body laying on the floor his voice faltered for a moment. She was so lifeless, her face was so pale. The tears that had threatened to fall now freely fell. As his tears began to fall from his eyes he sung louder and more powerfully. Everyone in the audience could almost feel his pain. His song pierced their hearts. His raw emotion showed through.

As he begins to raise his voice, you lower yours and grant him one last choice. Drive until you lose the road, or break with the ones you've followed. He will do one of two things; he will admit to everything or he'll say he's just not the same and you'll begin to wonder why you came

His voice was soft again, but his emotion was still raw and his song still pierced their hearts. Towards the end of the verse he thought of Ikuto and Utau.

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend. Somewhere along in the bitterness and I would have stayed up with you all night had I known how to save a life

He remembered the happy times he had spent with Ikuto. He remembered a time when they were little and he, Ikuto and Utau were playing hide and seek together. Ikuto was always the best at hide and seek. He remembered how he and Utau would always fight over who got to play with him. One time Utau and Tadase were really getting into a heated argument; Utau insisted on going a date with him while Tadase wanted to play with him. They were each tugging on one if his arms, trying to pull him away from the other. He sighed before taking out his violin and playing a song and Tadase and Utau sung together. He smiled weakly at the memory. His mind flashed again to the sight of him standing over his dead grandma's body. That distressed look on his face. Cold tears freely run down his cheeks by now.

_Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend somewhere along in the bitterness. And I would have stayed up with you all night had I known how to save a life_

His thoughts turned to Kukai. They had been best friends for so long, yet, when he moved away what had happened? What had happened to them? They hadn't kept in contact; he heard about how he was going through Amu. And now, it was as if he was gone from the face of the Earth. Could they even call themselves best friends?

_How to save a life. How to save a life_

_Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend somewhere along in the bitterness. And I would have stayed up with you all night had I known how to save a life_

He began to think about everything that had happened with Amu. He remembered when she first came to school and the speech she gave at form period on her first day. When she had collapsed on her second day. And then he had taken care of her when she fainted the next day. He had told her that it was only because Nadeshiko asked him to, but he was really worried about her. Then they were paired together when they worked under Easter's advertising department. That was when they became close. Everything seemed to come back to Easter in the end.

_Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend somewhere along in the bitterness. And I would have stayed up with you all night had I known how to save a life_

As he sung the last chorus he thought about his date with Amu. He still remembered it clearly. Then, he thought about when he went to Amu's dorm. He had seen Ikuto there. He was so heartbroken. He wiped his eyes as he finished singing the song. The audience was silent; it wasn't the type of performance to applaud to. As Tadase looked into the audience he saw people sniffling, crying and even sobbing. He knew that his message had reached their hearts.

He looked over to the judge's table and Mrs. Sanjo leaned forward to speak into the microphone, "That was beautiful…"

"Absolutely astounding. It left me speechless."

Mr. Halse now leaned forward to the microphone and began to speak, "That was beautiful. Your singing skill was obviously not as good as what we've heard earlier, but you almost had me in tears. That ability to move the audience is the most important thing for a singer. Your performance is the best I've heard today."

The director whispered in Mr. Halse's ear before he leaned forward and spoke into the microphone, "When our head vocal coach says that's the best performance he's heard today, I guess that speaks for itself. Tadase, you're the third person to be accepted into Easter.

His face lit up as he thanked the judges. After some cheering Mrs. Sanjo got out of her chair and made her way up onto the stage. Tadase handed her the microphone and she thanked him before she began to speak into it.

"Thank you everyone who auditioned today. We have already given recruited 3 people. That means we are looking for one more person out of the rest of the people that auditioned today. It will be an extremely tough decision. The judges are going to go backstage to discuss it. We'll be out once we've reached a decision." After she finished talking she put the microphone back in the stand as she walked back stage. The director and Mr. Halse stood up and made their way back stage as well. Tadase made his way off the stage and began to walk towards the group. He asked to speak to Amu privately and she nodded as she stood up from her seat and the two walked out of the auditorium.

When they were outside Tadase began talking first. His voice was assertive, "That song, I meant every word. There have been so many people I haven't been able to save. You, I can save though. We'll bring Easter down together. I'm sorry I didn't come to the trial…"

"No, I'm sorry," Amu apologized, "For everything."

He took a step forward and embraced her. His arms wrapped around her. She stayed still for a moment before she wrapped her arms around him. They remained as they were for a moment or two, simply taking comfort in each others' arms. They heard increased noise coming from inside the auditorium.

"The judges must have decided; c'mon let's go back inside," Amu said. He simply nodded and the two walked back inside. They saw the judges standing on the stage. They quickly ducked as they walked into their seat. Tadase sat next to Shouta on the edge of the row.

Mrs. Sanjo began to speak, "First, I would like to ask everyone who auditioned today to come up to the stage."

Almost the whole of the group got up. Amu, Shouta, Yua and Seiichiro were left sitting in the row. They moved closer together as they saw their friends walk up to the stage. "So many of my friends auditioned, and three of them have already passed." Suddenly, she realised what she had just said. All of the people who had passed had been her best friends.. Easter was trying to get control over her. Could it really be a coincidence? All along she had been cheering for her friends; she had forgotten about what she was dealing with. They had all been walking straight into the face of evil so that she wasn't alone. But in the end, all that had happened was Easter now had more people close to them that they could use. They had been walking right into Easter's trap all along.

In the time she had been thinking, they had announced the three people who had already passed, Yaya, Rima and Tadase, and congratulated them. Mrs. Sanjo was speaking, "We've narrowed the final person down to two singing acts and two acting acts. Our four finalists for the last spot are Hitomi, Yamada, Scott and Kairi."

The four of them all shouted in unison. Yamada and Rima hugged each other. Hitomi and You held hands as they jumped up and down. The four of them lined up and Mrs. Sanjo began speaking again.

"We had an extremely hard time choosing between these four acts. These four people all stood out to us today as extremely talented. Unfortunately there is only 1 spot left. That spot goes to…"

She paused. The entire auditorium was silent; a pin drop could be heard. She remained silent for a moment. The suspense built. It was like in those horror movies where everything went silent before something popped out of the dark. The calm before the storm.

"Kairi."

Cheers erupted throughout the auditorium. Hitomi closed her eyes and exhaled. Scott sighed but patted Kairi in the back and congratulated him. Yamada's eyes were wide; his mouth slightly open. The word repeated in his head multiple times. _'Kairi. Kairi. Kairi. Kairi. Kairi.' _Everything was over for him. He had lost everything. Rima was walking into the darkness and he couldn't be there for her. He wasn't able to light her path. He had failed. He wouldn't be able to protect her. They were over; she had only hugged him since he was finally going to join her.

"Yamada…" Shouta mumbled under his breath, "He did so much so that they could stay together…"

"In the end it was the other four guardians…" Yua pondered for a moment.

It suddenly clicked for Amu. The other four guardians. That was their goal all along. The whole audition was just a set up in order to get more leverage.

* * *

><p><strong>Don't have much to say since it's late at night and I need to get to sleep. Just really wanted to update this weekend.<strong>

**This chapter needed probably the most editing out of all chapters so far, and as I said, it's late at night, so there might be one or two mistakes throughout the chapter. Feel free to point them out and I'll fix them.**

**Anyway, thanks for reading, please leave a review! See you later! **


	25. Chapter 23: Cheating Chara part 2

**Chapter 23: Cheating Chara Part 2**

Wednesday came around quickly. Amu hadn't told anyone else about Easter's real plan yet. She decided she would talk to the other guardians at lunch time. She had to tell them so that they wouldn't sign the contract. After she dropped Ami off at Easter's training academy she walked to school. Thoughts of Easter occupied her mind the whole time. What was going to happen at the start of next term? After all, she would be studying at Easter's training academy full time. They wanted her to be a symbol for Easter. Surely that meant she would have to debut soon. She would be a famous idol. She had dreamed of this more than a few times; she never wanted it to happen like this, though.

When she entered the classroom she noticed Rima sitting at her desk. Suddenly thoughts of yesterday came rushing back into her mind. Yamada hadn't gotten the full scholarship. He began crying and ran out of the auditorium. Rima ran after him. Amu mentally scolded herself. She had been so caught up with Easter she didn't even think about her best friend. She looked at Rima again and, this time, looked at her eyes. They seemed so blank, empty of emotion. Her body was still, lifeless. She looked so apathetic. Amu immediately ran up to her and hugged her. They didn't talk. There was no need for words. They simply held each other. Neither of them knew how much time passed but soon other students began coming into class and before long Nikaido walked in. Finally the two of them parted and Amu dragged Rima to the front of the class where she told Rima to sit in Tadase's seat. He only nodded at Amu, understanding.

Amu didn't know when it had happened but as she looked back she saw that Yamada had come into class and was sitting in his seat. He had that same apathetic look in his eyes that Rima had. They were both dying on the inside. Amu sighed. Why did they have to be so stubborn?

Nikaido began talking, but Amu wasn't listening to anything he said. Then, one thing he said caught Amu's attention.

"Tomorrow during third period everyone will have class off. The physical education class is doing a 10km run assessment, and the teachers have decided that since it's the end of the term we should all watch."

Amu had totally forgotten about the 10 kilometre run. She remembered the bet she had made with Yamada. Perhaps she could somehow use the bet to get Rima and Yamada back together? Suddenly she thought of an idea. She knew whos help she would need, too.

When recess came around Amu quickly rushed to the cafeteria. She looked around and saw that neither Rima nor Yamada were here yet. That was good. She made her way over to Shouta's table and grabbed his hand, dragging him off the seat. A shocked look passed his face before he looked up and saw it was Amu. She quickly dragged him away and into the girl's bathroom.

"I'm not sure I should be in here…" he said nervously.

Amu dropped to her knees, ignoring the fact that it was a bathroom and the floor was probably filthy, "I need your help, please. I probably sound like the most insincere person ever. I want your help to get Yamada and Rima back together. I know that's wrong but… please."

"Of course I'll help you," Yamada told her.

"But… isn't it better for you if they aren't dating?" Amu asked. She was confused at his immediate acceptance.

"Love doesn't always mean you're together. Sometimes you have to love someone enough to let them go."

Amu got to her feet and stepped forward to embrace Shouta. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder, "I'm so sorry. You'll fall in love one day, and that person will love you back."

"Thanks, Amu," he said slowly before his face brightened and his spirit lifted, "Anyway, how are we gonna get them back together?"

"Well, we currently have a bet about which one of us is going to win the 10km run. I was thinking I might have to raise the stakes. If I win I'm going to make them date again."

"Are you sure you can win, though? If you demand that from him he'll probably have a pretty harsh demand as well."

"Well… that's what I wanted your help for. We're pretty even. I'm sure that it'll be close. That's why, in case he's winning near the end, I was hoping we could have a distraction. I hoped you'd be able to create one somehow."

Shouta thought for a moment before he spoke, "Yeah. I think I have something that would work."

"Okay, I'll leave that up to you then. Anyway, we better get out of here. Rima's probably waiting for me by now."  
>"Yeah, and Yamada is probably waiting for me."<p>

They both walked out of the bathroom and went in their separate directions, ignoring the glances people gave them after seeing them walk out of the bathroom together.

As Amu sat down at the table with Rima she decided it was time to be hard on her. "Listen up," she began. Rima's eyes moved up from the table to Amu's face. Her eyes were still emotionless and empty, "You need to get yourself together girl. I know you're sad but you need to tell me what happened when you chased after him."

Rima's mouth opened slowly but no words came out. She closed it before opening it again. She still sat there in silence. Finally she began talking, her voice hesitant and distant, "I was chasing him. He kept running. Then I fell over. My face smashed into the ground. Hearing the thump he turned around and saw me lying on the floor. He quickly ran up to me and cupped my face with his hand while asking if I was alright. I ignored his question and just told him that I loved him. When I said that he looked away. I looked away too. I can't believe I actually said that. We'd only been dating a few days. How could I say that? I ruined it. His eyes were looking into mine and he began talking. He said sorry that he didn't make it into Easter. He was sorry that he was a failure and that we could never be together. He lifted me onto my feet and then he turned around again. I grabbed his arm and he spun back around to face me. I pressed my lips against his and wrapped my arms around him. He didn't respond at first but then he began kissing back. After a while we both pulled away and he looked down at me and began laughing. I looked down too. My clothes were all dirty. He picked me up and began carrying me back to my dorm. I just let myself rest against his body and I felt safe. He carried me back to my dorm and I told him he could come in for a bit."

Rima paused for a moment. Amu was confused. She wasn't sure how this could turn bad. From what she'd heard so far, it sounded absolutely perfect.

"What happened after that?" she asked.

Rima breathed in before talking again, "Could we go somewhere a bit more private? Some people started looking at us."

Amu looked around and saw that, indeed, people were looking at them, "Yeah, sure, let's go to the royal garden."

The two of them got up and, picking up their bags, walked out of the cafeteria. The walk to the royal garden was silent. Amu was thinking the whole time. What could have possibly happened? So far it sounded like they had been perfect. The two of them saw the royal garden in sight and Amu felt relieved, although she didn't know why. Perhaps it was because she would find out what happened. As they entered they each sat in their chair and Amu prompted Rima to continue talking.

"Well… after that I went into my room and got changed. When I came back out I saw him sitting on my couch. I sat down next to him and asked him where we were going to go from here. He apologised again for not getting the full scholarship and I told him it was no problem. We'd still see each other two days a week, anyway. I told him that I still wanted to date him, and he agreed. We kissed, but the kiss turned more passionate after a while. I began to run my hands through his hair, and his hands were behind my back. He slipped them under my shirt and began to run them across my back."

Rima paused again. Amu took a deep breath. They couldn't have, right? They couldn't have done **it**… it was too soon…

Rima looked away from Amu and began talking again, "We parted after a while. We were both panting; we didn't get enough air. All he said was 'umm…' Then I kissed him again. My hands travelled down his back this time, and I grabbed his ass. He jumped in surprise before his hands moved up my stomach and grabbed my breasts. All I could think about was that time… When those men grabbed me… I freaked out and I pushed him off of me. I kept moving back on the couch and he moved closer, asking me what was wrong. I freaked out. It was totally irrational, but I didn't trust him for a moment… I thought he was going to rape me. I screamed at him, yelling at him to get out. He asked what was wrong and I screamed at him again. I said 'Get out you rapist! I hate you!'"

Amu's face went pale as she listened to the story. She got up off her seat and hugged her best friend.

"I hate myself… It was all my fault… What can I do, Amu?"

"Don't worry…" Amu said as she patted the girl's back, "I'll make things better."

At that moment the bell rang and the two of them collected their stuff and began walking to their classes. Their classes passed quickly; Amu was thinking of what she could say to the other guardians at lunch. When lunch came around Amu made her way to the cafeteria and she sat down at a table with the other guardians, Suzuki and Yua.

"We need to talk in private, let's go to the royal garden," she said sharply, "Suzuki and Yua, you guys can come too."

She turned on her heel and began to walk out of the cafeteria. The other guardians were confused, but picked up their bags and followed her nonetheless. They walked in silence on the way to the royal garden. When they got there Tadase pulled up a chair for Yua and Suzuki and they all sat down.

"Okay, you two," Amu said, pointing at Suzuki and Yua, "Have missed out a lot. I'll just be blunt and get to the point; Easter is an evil organisation planning to take over the world." The two of them blinked, as if what she had just said did not register to them. "I'm not joking or over exaggerating. They want to buy out companies so they have a monopoly over, well, everything."

"What…?" Suzuki began.

"Are you sure?" Yua asked.

"Yes, we're sure," Rima interjected, "We've even been to court against them, but unfortunately we lost the case."

"Oh god…" Sakurai began, "Stop joking around guys, this is serious."

"They aren't joking…" Tadase assured them.

"I always knew there was something off about Easter… but this?" Suzuki was astounded. Nevertheless, he fully believed what they were saying.

"Anyway, why did you bring this up now?" Kairi asked.

"I'm not sure exactly what Easter is planning, but I know there's definitely something fishy going on. You can't seriously believe it's a coincidence that they happened to be offering **four **full scholarships and all four of them happened to go to the guardians?"

"What are you suggesting…?" Tadase asked slowly.

"There's something I haven't told you guys except for Rima yet," Amu said slowly, "The reason they fired Utau is they decided on a new symbol for Easter, namely Ami and I."

"What?" Yaya asked incredulously, "That can't be true, right?"

"Unfortunately, she's not joking…" Rima added.

"Right, so I'm pretty sure the reason that you guys were chosen is so that they have more leverage over me. That's why you can't sign the contract to join Easter. You'll just be walking into their trap, and you'll be in danger. I can deal with this myself."

They looked at her, different emotions crossing their face. They each sat in silence for a moment. Rima was the first to speak up. She scoffed, "Please. You're my best friend, Amu. I'm not going to let you do this alone."

"Yeah, Rima's right," Yaya added in, "We're not going to abandon you. We'll be fighting Easter right alongside you!

"Yeah, we're not children that you have to take care of," Tadase told her.

"We'll be here to support you," Kairi assured her.

They went silent for a moment before Suzuki spoke up, "Well, this is all pretty overwhelming, but you're one of the nicest people I know. I'm not going to abandon you."

Yua was the last to speak, "I remember when we first met. I was so jealous of you. But despite all that, we still managed to become friends somehow. I'm not going to leave you now."

Amu looked at all of the people that were sitting there. Tears began to form in her eyes, "Thanks guys, that means so much to me…"

"Anyway, nothing good is going to come out of it if we just go crazy and rush in to Easter. I think we should just take things as they come for now," Tadase told them.

"I, too, think that would be the best plan," Kairi added.

"Yeah, we still have the musical to get out of the way first," Suzuki told them.

"That's true," Yua said, "It's only 2 days until we perform in front of an audience…"

"Oh, god, time has gone by so quickly!" Tadase said.

"Speaking of time going quickly, the bell is going to ring any second now," Kairi told them.

As if on cue, the bell rang and they all picked up their bags and made their way to their separate classes.

After school finished Amu made her way to the auditorium. They were doing a full dress rehearsal for the musical today. She was nervous. It was only 2 full days before they had to perform the musical. Before she got into her clothes she went to the male dressing room. Without bothering to knock she walked in. She knew no-one else would be there by now since she had gotten out of class early. Tadase, William and Jack walked in. They were surprised to see her in there.

"What are you doing in here, shouldn't you be getting into your costume?" Tadase asked.

"I'm waiting for Yamada," she said simply. It was at that moment that Yamada walked into the dressing room. Amu quickly walked over to him, "You and me, talk outside."

He obeyed, and walked back out the door he just came in. Amu followed him out. "Rima told me what happened."

He looked as if he was about to break down in tears. At least it was an improvement from his emotionless face he had during the day.

"I'm so sorry. I'm the worst… I bet she hates me now. I didn't want to make her uncomfortable… I'm so stupid. I hate myself."

"Yeah, you're both stupid…" Amu said softly, "Well, I want to propose a deal for you. You know our little wager? I want to up the stakes. If I win you and Rima have to sit down and seriously talk about what happened, then kiss and make up."

"I can't face her… I can't…"

"What do you want me to do if you win? I'll do anything," Amu told him.

He thought about it for a moment, "I have absolutely no idea."

"Well… what about I'll owe you something? If you win I'll do anything for you at any time you want at your request."

He smirked, "You're on. I'm not going to lose, Amu."

"Well, we have the musical to focus on first. But, I'm going to beat you tomorrow."

With that, Amu walked off and went to the female dressing room to change into her outfit. She prepared herself for the dress rehearsal. It was definitely going to be a challenge. After all, this was almost the real thing.

* * *

><p>The next day came quickly. They didn't do much work in any classes, since it was the last day of term. Before long recess came around. Amu and Yamada made their way to the gym and got changed into their gym clothes before they began stretching, preparing for the big race. It was going to be a long one. 10km is nothing to scoff at. When they both got out of the changing room they greeted each other.<p>

"Try not to die out there," she told him.

He rolled his eyes, "You just focus on keeping up with me."

"I'm sure that won't be a problem."

They grinned at each other before shaking hands and continuing with their stretches.

The school began gathering at the oval, the beginning and ending point of the race. They had a few T.V screens set around the place with extension cords running into the gym. The T.V screens would show live streaming of some of the runners. Of course, it was a very long time, so most of the time people would just be chatting to each other. It wasn't until the end of the race that people would get excited. Recess quickly passed by, people chatting to each other. The start of third period was nearing, and the gym students began to walk out from the gym onto the oval. As they walked out everyone on the oval began cheering. Amu heard her name called and looked over to see the Rima, Tadase, Kairi, Yua, Suzuki and Shouta cheering for her. Yamada looked over too, and noted that Shouta didn't even cheer his name.

"Geez… it's nice to see where my 'best friends' loyalties lie," Yamada said with an annoyed tone.

"He's cheering for me for you, if that makes sense."

"No, that did not make any sense at all."

"Well, if I win then you and Rima will get back together, so you'll be happy."

"I don't think we can ever get back together," Yamada told her honestly.

Amu frowned, "Don't think that way. You guys are perfect for each other. Remember what I told you? If she ever opens up to a guy, I'm sure that he'll be the one. You're so special to her, Yamada. You just have to be patient with her; she's still afraid and scarred from her experience. It'll take some time, but, trust me, she feels just as guilty as you do."

Yamada looked at her, "Thanks, Amu. You always know what to say."

"Right back at you," Amu told him, "We have a pretty weird friendship, wouldn't you say?"

He smiled at her, "Yeah. I'm definitely going to sort things out with Rima after this race."

Amu smiled at him. Perhaps she had achieved her goal without even needing to beat him? She wasn't sure how that just happened, but she wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. She still needed to beat him, anyway. She wasn't about to let him get one up on her.

The participants all lined up at the starting line as Mr. Anderson explained that the participants would run through the track. There would be officials stationed at points to direct them. He reminded them not to get too worn out at the start. 10 km was a very long distant.

"Ready, set…" he paused for a moment before holding his gun to the air and firing. Everyone took off from the starting line, starting with a jog. Amu knew if she went too fast at the start she would regret it later. Amu remained at about the middle of the group as they ran. Yamada was leading the pack.

As they ran further and further the pack began diminishing as people got tired. Yamada, as the leader, controlled the pace. When there were about 6 or 7 people left he decided to step it up a bit to shake them off. As he increased his speed, he began to break away from the rest of the crowd. Amu knew that if she let him get too far ahead she wouldn't be able to catch up. She, too, stepped up her speed and ran around the others. She quickly caught up to Yamada and continued running just behind him.

They continued running, just the two of them leading for a while. They were both getting very tired, and their pace slowed considerably. As Yamada slowed down he was worried. While there were only two of them, he couldn't really control the pace. If he slowed down and then Amu decided to speed up she could easily overtake him. Luckily, Amu was obviously tired as well. When he slowed down she, too slowed. They continued running together.

They had been running for an extremely long time already and Amu and Yamada were really feeling it. Amu's legs began to hurt with each step she took. As the ran past an official he called out "Only 1 kilometre to go."

In that instance Amu's eyes locked onto Yamada's and a smirk appeared on their faces. They began to run faster, pushing themselves to the limit. Amu knew that she would barely be able to walk after this. Yamada had more energy left then Amu. He began to run faster, and slowly he started to inch away from her. Amu willed herself to go faster, but her legs wouldn't listen. Yamada got further and further away as they kept running. By now, he was about 10 metres in front of Amu. Amu just hoped that Shouta could distract him for long enough.

Amu and Yamada turned a corner past a building and they were out onto the oval. It must have only been 200m now until the finish line. Shouta better bloody act fast. As they appeared on the oval the whole crowd went wild. Screams erupted. Yamada heard one in particular, though. Someone was calling his name out of desperation. He looked to the side and saw Shouta. He was currently lying on the ground, a big guy standing over him. Yamada's eyes widened as the guy stood on his back. Shouta cried out in pain. Without thinking, Yamada quickly rushed to the side and pulled the guy off Shouta. Yamada's sudden movement caused everyone in the crowd to look. They obviously hadn't noticed it before.

Amu gasped. What did Shouta do? This surely couldn't have been his plan, right? He can't have gone so extreme just to distract Yamada. Amu, too, began to run over to where Shouta and Yamada were. After Yamada pulled the big guy off, the big guy towered over Yamada and pushed him in the chest. Yamada pushed him back and the big guy grabbed his arms. He pulled Yamada's right arm towards him, while pushing his left away. This sudden movement caused Yamada to be almost side on in relation to the guy. The guy then stepped his body in front of Yamada's, and let Yamada roll over his hip before slamming him onto the floor. This **definitely **was not planned.

Rima rushed to Yamada, and leant down beside him. Finally, some people from the crowd realised what was going on and teachers quickly rushed to Yamada's aid. Seeing the arrival of teachers, the big guy quickly fled the scene.

"Yamada!" Rima shouted, looking down at him. His only reply was a groan. "Are you okay?"

"Shouta…" he mumbled. Amu couldn't help but smile. Even while he was so injured his thoughts were on his best friend. Amu leaned down besides Shouta and asked if he was alright.

"This… wasn't what I planned…" he mumbled.

Soon enough the nurse came through, "C'mon! Let's get these 2 onto the beds. Straight to my office!"

Some students came through the crowd and lifted up Shouta and Yamada onto 2 wheelie beds. They then began to wheel the beds out, as the students cleared the way.

Rima was left sitting on the floor, right besides where Yamada had been lying. Amu came up to her, "C'mon, let's go to the nurse's office." She held out her hand and Rima took it. Amu pulled her up onto her feet and before long the rest of the guardians along with Yua and Suzuki were at their side. The group began walking to the nurse's office. When they arrived they knocked on the door before walking in quietly. The nurse was currently tending to Yamada. She looked up and saw the guardians enter.

"I'm pretty much done here, you can talk to your friends if you want. There's not much I can do except supply pain killers and suggest you get a lot of rest," she told Yamada and Shouta.

"Thanks…" Yamada and Shouta mumbled in unison.

"Okay, you have a lot of explaining to do," Rima said, directing her statement at Shouta.

"I'll begin…" Amu said slowly, "I made a bet with Yamada about which one of us would win the race. I said if I won then he'd have to dress up as a girl, and if he won I'd have to write a love letter to a teacher. Then, you and Yamada broke up and I saw how miserable both of you were. I wanted to get you guys back together so I made a new bet with Yamada. If I won, you two would have to sit down and talk, and hopefully kiss and make up. If he won, I'd owe him a favour of whatever he likes. Anyway, I really wanted to get the two of you back together, so I asked Shouta for help…"

"What kind of help?" Rima inquired.

"I knew that me and Yamada would be about equal, so I asked if Shouta could distract Yamada for a little bit at the end so I could just beat Yamada…"

Yamada's eyes narrowed as he looked at Amu, "You dirty little cheat."  
>Amu rolled her eyes, "If you two weren't so bloody stubborn in the first place! Anyway, I don't know what happened after that, though."<p>

"Well, I guess I'll have to take over then," Shouta coughed out, "I hadn't planned this to distract Yamada. I just planned to hold up an embarrassing photo of him…"

"Not **that **photo?" Yamada asked in horror.

Shouta smirked, "Yeah, that one. Anyway, last night I was with Jenny Jackson…"

"What?!" Yaya, Tadase, Kairi and Suzuki all asked at once.

"That's Adam's girlfriend…" Tadase said slowly.

"Who's Adam?" Amu asked.

"The one that just beat these two guys up," Kairi explained.

"Oh…"

Yaya interrupted, "WHY WERE YOU HAVING SEX WITH A GIRL THAT ALREADY HAS A BOYFRIEND?"

"It's complicated…" Yua said slowly.

"That's not an excuse!" Yaya yelled again.

"No, don't worry, he's gay," Rima said calmly.

Yaya, Tadase, Kairi and Suzuki all went silent and blinked twice. A look of confusion washed over them.

"You had sex with a girl…" Suzuki began.

"Even though you're gay?" Tadase finished.

"Uhm, no they didn't have sex," Amu assured them.

"How do you know so much?" Yaya asked her.

"Because I slept with him too."

That was obviously the wrong thing to say at that time because the four of them screamed in outrage again.

"But he's gay so they didn't have sex, get it?" Yua said.

"I'm totally lost now…" Tadase admitted.

"Okay, shut up!" Yamada screamed, "Let me explain from the start. Shouta is gay but he always invites girls into his room. He makes them beautiful and then he paints pictures of them so they feel loved. He does it whenever there's a girl that's feeling really down."

A chorus of "ohhh" was heard throughout the room.

"Why do you do that?" Kairi asked quizzically.

"Because he's in love with Yamada," Rima said calmly.

The room fell silent.

"How did you know that…?" Yamada asked her.

"Isn't it obvious? I've known from the beginning. The way he looks at you, the way he treats you. It's obvious he thinks of you as more than just a friend."

"Rima…" Shouta began slowly.

"Don't worry. You're obviously not a threat, so I didn't worry about it," she said bluntly.

Amu cringed at the way she worded it, "You could have worded it a bit nicer…"

"Well if he's going to try and steal my boyfriend off me, don't expect me to be nice."

"Boyfriend?" Yaya questioned happily.

Rima cursed at herself for her use of the word, "Ex-boyfriend I meant."

The room once again grew silent. Yamada closed his eyes in defeat. He looked so sad.

"Rima, he never tried to steal him from you…" Amu began, "He always helped me get you two together, even though he was in love with him…"

Rima looked at Amu. She was telling the truth. Her eyes then moved to Shouta and rested on him. She looked down for a moment, "I'm sorry. I misjudged you…"

Shouta smiled at her, "It's alright. Smile. Girls look more beautiful when they smile."

Rima smiled. It was a true smile. It wasn't something you saw everyday on Rima.

"Anyway, we got off track a bit," Amu told them, "How did the guy end up bashing you up?"

"Well, he came to confront me. He somehow found out that we spent the night together…. Anyway, I tried to explain the situation and I told him I'm gay. That was a bad idea. He screamed at me, calling me a fag. Then he punched me in the gut and threw me to the floor before standing on me. Then Yamada came rushing to my rescue."

"Just like a prince would come to his princess' aid…" Yaya said dreamily.

Rima glared at her, and then at Shouta.

"Or like a guy would come to his best friend's aid…" Amu added, hoping to calm the situation down.

"Anyway, my work better not have gone to waste. I'm expecting you two to sit down, talk, kiss and makeup," Shouta demanded, looking at Rima and Yamada. The two looked at each other.

"C'mon. Let's get out of their way," Amu told the rest of them. Everyone other than Yamada and Rima filed out of the room, leaving the two alone.

The two sat in silence for a moment, unsure of what to say. They looked into each other's eyes and then at the same time they apologised. They began laughing and it broke the ice.

"You can go first," Rima told him.

"Well, I'm really sorry. I didn't want to push you into anything you're not ready for… I'm so stupid, I just thought that… I don't know what I thought. To be honest, I probably wasn't thinking much…"

"Oh, you idiot," Rima told him, "It wasn't your fault… I was the one who initiated it, and then I pushed you away and even called you a rapist… I'm so sorry… I was just scared. When you touched me all these images came back into my mind."

"I know… I'm sorry… I just want you to know I'll wait as long as you want. You don't need to feel pressured into anything with me."

"Thanks… it means a lot. And it will be hard, I mean since we'll only be able to see each other twice a week."

"Does that mean you'll take me back?" He asked.

"Of course, idiot."

"Can I hug you?" He asked.

"Of course, idiot."

"Aww! So sweet!" Yaya said as she burst into the room and the two of them saw everyone fall into the room.

Rima narrowed her eyes at them before just sighing.

"You know we would've told you what happened anyway," Yamada sighed.

"Eavesdropping is more fun though," Amu told them playfully.

Rima nudged Amu playfully and they all laughed.

"Oh by the way," Kairi told them, "They decided to just add 1 minute onto each of your times to give you your final time. And since they went from when you reached the 200m mark, Yamada won the race by the way."

Amu mentally cursed at herself while the others began laughing.

* * *

><p>The big day arrived. Their first performance of Wicked was tonight. Amu was currently in the dressing room getting her clothes on. She would then have to have her green make up done. Suddenly, Utau came bursting into the dressing room. Amu turned around at the sudden opening of the door and Utau marched right up to Amu before slapping her across the face. The slap echoed throughout the room and Rima, the only other girl in the room at the moment turned to see what happened.<p>

"You bitch…" Utau snarled.

"What…?" Amu asked slowly.

"I trusted you. Even though I loved Ikuto, I trusted you to look after him."

"What are you talking about?" Amu asked, confused about the situation.

"Don't play dumb," Utau warned her, "I know Ikuto went to you after he rebelled against the director. I was so jealous, but I thought that you'd take good care of Ikuto so I decided to ignore it. Then I found out that you just let him walk right into Easter!"

"What…?" Amu asked quietly.

"I got a nice picture in my mail today. A picture of Ikuto being held in the the director's cells. He was starved and beaten. How could you do that?! I thought that you loved him…"

"Ikuto… Oh god…" Amu said to herself. The last time she had seen him was when she cursed and screamed at him after he came out when Tadase was at her dorm. She had been so dumb. It all made sense to her now. He came out because he didn't want to make things hard for her. He knew that she was going to pay for his hotel, and he didn't want her to spend her money so he made her angry on purpose. Of course the easiest way to do that was through Tadase who was conveniently there at the time. He had done it to protect her…

"I need to fix this. It's all my fault…" Amu said slowly.

"Amu… we only have a few hours before we need to perform," Rima told her.

"There are some things more important than performing," Amu told her.

Rima smiled, "I'm glad you agree. How on Earth are you going to help him though?"

"I don't know… I don't have a plan. I'm just going to march into Easter and demand that fucking director gives him back."

"I'm coming," Utau told her.

"No, you aren't," Amu said firmly.

"What?"

"The audience have all paid for a ticket, they're expecting a show out there. It won't be much of a show without Elphaba… You need to act as Elphaba," Amu told her.

"But…"

"No buts," Amu told her, "This is my fault. I caused this, I'm going to save him."

"You aren't going without me," Rima told her.

"What?"

"This is one bloody crazy plan, someone needs to come with you to make sure you stay alive," she said playfully.

"Rima…"

"Besides, Yaya is just as good as me. She'll do fine."

"Okay… Utau, tell Yaya that she's up. C'mon, Rima, we better go."

Rima nodded. They both got changed back into their clothes and then Rima followed Amu out of the dressing room. They quickly slipped out of the auditorium building and out of school grounds. They then began to walk North.

Their goal; the heart of Easter.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: NEXT CHAPTER: The climax of the 2****nd**** arc. Ikuto is in danger, Amu and Rima confront Easter, and they are finally performing Wicked! Also, an old character will be returning… **

**Sorry for the long wait… Have a lot going on at the moment. The next chapter should be up in 2 weeks time! **


	26. Author's Update

... I don't even know what to say right now T_T.

As some of you may know, I recently moved country from Australia to the USA. As part of this process I got rid of my old computer and got a new one when I arrived in America. Being the paranoid person I am, I saved my stuff on 3 different flash drives. Two of them were in my luggage, while one of them I had in carry-on.

Our luggage was lost, so two of the flash drives were gone. I didn't think too much of it since I had another one anyway. However, when I got my new computer and put my flash drive in, it told me that the flash drive was corrupt and needed to be reformatted. Unfortunately, this process deleted everything off the flash drive, and there was no possible way to get the data off before reformatting... :(

Meaning, that all of my work on Facades is now gone. I had the rest of the story fully written and ready to be edited before posting, and it was about 80 000 words worth of work, so its a damn friggen lot :(

I'm not sure if I have the motivation to rewrite so much work. This whole incident has just made me hate this story that I once loved.

Signing off for now,  
>BurritoDude<p> 


	27. Author's Update 2

Okay guys, I would like to thank everyone for the massive amount of support you guys have given me. I love all of you guys, so it saddens me to say that I WILL be discontinuing facades.

However, I will rewrite the epilogue and post it up, since many people were curious as to what happens in the end. :) The epilogue shows the ending of almost every character in the story XD

It should be up in about 1 weeks time.


	28. Epilogue: Façades

**A/N: First of all, sorry for the late update! Had lots of Christmas/New Years obligations I had to fulfill. Also, this is kind of different to the original epilogue, since the original wouldn't have made sense to you guys with the missing chapters. I had to cut out bits, and add more background to fill in gaps. (For example, the whole conversation between Rima and Nagihiko was completely rewritten.) Anyway, here it is! The final installment of Facades.  
><strong>

**A note on this chapter: It is split up a lot. The normal text is in Amu's point of view, while the italic text is in third person and shows what is happening SOMEWHERE ELSE AT THE SAME TIME Amu is thinking about it. I hope it's not too confusing.  
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**And yes, the title of this chapter is Facades.  
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* * *

><p><strong>Epilogue: Facades<br>**

I sat in my room, pondering all that had happened over the past year. It was January 23rd, only a week until I started my senior year. This time last year I was sitting in a hotel room with Ami, now I was sitting alone in my dorm room. But, I was never really alone anymore. I had so many great friends that I could rely on, no matter what. Remembering our life before we came to Seiyo, I thought of how much Ami had grown. She'd been forced to grow by Easter. It was nice now that she could go back to school, now that she had a dad again.

* * *

><p><em>Ami slowly stretched her arms above her head before she got out of her bed and walked out into the living room. She saw her dad standing at the kitchen cooking breakfast.<em>

_"What's for breakfast, daddy?"_

_"Pancakes!" He replied happily._

_Her eyes lit up and she quickly rushed over to sit at the table. He chuckle a little before he took the pancakes from the pan and sat them on a plate. He then moved the plate to the table and the two began eating._

_"We should go to the shops today, to get you some new things for school next year."_

_Her eyes lit up, "Yay! I love you daddy!"_

* * *

><p>When I'd first come to Seiyo, I hadn't really made friends with anyone. I thought about when I'd walked into the dorm room and saw Yaya and Nadeshiko, well Nagihiko, standing there. Yaya had been there for me throughout the whole journey. Although they'd fought once or twice, she was the one that really understood Amu the best.<p>

Although her dance teacher told her that she'd never have the patience to become a dance teacher, I believed in her. She had amazing concentration when she tried. Too bad she didn't try that much…

* * *

><p><em>Yaya walked up to the small grey building and took a deep breath before she opened the door. There were young girls doing warmups and an old lady standing at the end of the room, looking down at her file. Yaya slowly walked over to the old lady, who didn't once look up from her file.<em>

_She cleared her throat slightly, and the old lady looked up._

_"I heard that you're looking for an assistant for this dance school…"_

_The old lady rose an eyebrow, "And you think you're qualified? You're just a school girl."_

_Yaya gulped and nodded, "I know. I have lots to learn, but I really want to help."_

_The old lady furrowed her eyebrows, "I'll let you try out today. We're starting a new routine. If you can help even one of these girls get the first half of the routine, I'll let you become my assistant."_

_Yaya nodded, and the old lady started the class. The old lady started showing them the first steps of the routine. The girls all got the first few steps, but then the dance got to a fairly fast part. The old lady stood on one foot, and propelled herself onto only her toes as she tossed her arms to the right elegantly. She then bought her full weight crashing down back to the left and launched herself into a spin. A few of the girls looked like they understood what they needed to do, and continued practicing that part. Yaya saw one girl who fell twice while trying, and she frowned as she saw the girl fall a third time. She quickly walked over to the girl._

_"Hi, are you alright?"_

_"I don't know how to do it…"_

_"That's alright. I'll help you. The first part is to be able to stand on just your toes. Let's just practice that first."_

_The young girl slowly stood on her toes, but soon came crashing down. Yaya caught her before she hit the floor. After a few minutes, the girl had finally managed to stand on her toes and remain there for a while. Yaya then showed her how to throw her arms to the right, while using her legs to keep her centre of gravity in the middle. It had taken the girl a while to grasp the concept, but eventually she had. The other girls had all started learning the next steps by now, but Yaya remained fully focused on helping this girl._

_Finally, Yaya showed her how to use her momentum to launch herself into a spin. By the time the girl had learnt that, the old lady had told them that class was over. The girl thanked Yaya sincerely, and told her that she'd practice it at home for next time._

_Yaya walked up to the dance teacher and scratched her head, "I'm sorry I didn't help her learn half the song. I guess I'm not as good as I thought."_

_The lady laughed, "No, you're admirable. I expected you to choose one of the best girls in the class, just to impress me. But you chose the one that struggled, that showed serious character, I'll let you be my assistant."_

_A big grin came across Yaya's face and she started jumping up and down, "YAY YAY YAY! I'M GONNA HAVE SOME CANDY TO REWARD MYSELF"_

* * *

><p>And Nadesh- I mean Nagihiko. He'd been my best friend for so long, yet I had never truly understood him until recently. I always knew I could rely on him, though. He knew that the same would apply. And who would have guessed that of all people, he would end up dating Rima.<p>

I chuckled to myself a little. I remembered when I met Rima. She had been my solace in school, the only other person who didn't want to talk. And then later on, she had joined the guardians. It was then that we became friends. It was kind of unbelievable; we'd started off close because of our similarities, and then we both evolved and we were still close.

It was still a bit weird to think of Nagihiko and Rima as dating, though. Especially since they'd been enemies in the past. But they were really sweet together. I knew they'd both be my friends for life.

* * *

><p><em>"I thought boys were supposed to be quick at getting ready," Rima complained.<em>

_"That doesn't apply to bisexual guys. Besides, have you seen these locks? It takes a long time to do my hair."_

_"Psh. I can't believe you would bring up being bisexual in front of me."_

_"What. Are you afraid I'm going to leave you for some hunk?" Nagihiko teased her._

_"Pfft. No, because it just reminds me that we used to be enemies."_

_"I still can't believe that you would blackmail me with my bisexuality and the fact I was a boy. I thought you were a homophobe."_

_"Of course not. I just needed to blackmail you somehow. Then I overheard that conversation between you and Kukai."_

_"Aish, don't remind me of that," Nagihiko hissed._

_"What, that Kukai loved you but you turned him down because you were a guy?"_

_"Yes, that. It was hard, you know. Especially since he was one of my best friends."_

_"I never asked, how did he react when you told him you were a guy?"_

_Nagihiko shyly looked away, "He was still willing to date me."_

_Rima rose an eyebrow, "Has he been hiding something from us?"_

_He chuckled slightly, "No, I knew he was straight. He was willing to experiment, though. But I knew he was straight, so there was no point. So I turned him down. Would have only meant heartbreak for both of us later, and possibly the end of our friendship."_

_"How mature of you," Rima teased._

_"But… you know. He's so hot, such a nice body."_

_"Shut up!" Rima demanded._

_He chuckled again, "You **are **afraid I'll leave you for a guy."_

_"Well what do you expect, after Yamada?"_

_"I guess you don't have a very good track record."_

_She rolled her eyes, "You can say that. The first guy I dated ended up being gay, and now the second one is bisexual."_

_"I bet you're secretly a fag hag."_

_"Shut up. Are you almost ready."_

_"Almost. Just a little bit more on my hair…"_

_"HURRY UP!" Rima yelled at him._

_"Okay, okay. I'm done now. We can go."_

_Rima spun and they began to walk out before Nagihiko wrapped his arms around her from the back and hugged her. She was surprised, but didn't object._

_"I promise I won't leave you for some hot hunk."_

_She rolled her eyes, "I know, idiot."_

_"I love you."_

_"I love you too."_

* * *

><p>I looked across at my outfit I had worn for my Easter photo shoot. I thought of all the time I'd spent working for them. It sickened me. But then I thought of when I met Yua and Seiichiro at Easter. I hadn't gotten along with Yua at all, and Seiichiro was as shy as a mouse. But, somehow they'd both become two of my closest friends.<p>

* * *

><p><em>"Lalala" Yua sung and she held the note, stepping up a few times. As she finished Seiichiro started clapping.<em>

_"That was amazing! You'll do amazing!"_

_"Thanks for all your help… I couldn't have done this much without you. Well, I'm still not sure I'll be able to do it."_

_"You're amazing, Yua."_

_"But University of WA has one of the most competitive performing arts programs."_

_"Pfft. You are the definition of competitive," Seiichiro told her._

_She smirked, "You've got that right."_

_"Just remember that you're better than any of them, and you'll do fine."_

_"So, you're finally going to be in senior school next year. How's it feel?"_

_He shrugged, "Meh. It's mostly all the same. I barely have any friends in my year level anyway. I have no idea what I'm going to do when Amu and the others graduate next year."_

_"Right… it's time for me to teach you something!" Yua announced._

_He rose an eyebrow._

_"How to make friends easily. It's easy."_

_He rolled his eyes, "I know how to make friends. I'm not a social recluse."_

_"Well, how come you still don't have friends from your own year group then?"_

_"Well the fact that we took two terms off because of Easter kinda contributed," he told her sarcastically._

_"Well, well, if that's how you're going to act then fine."_

_He smiled, "You know I'm just joking."_

_"Anyway, I should get going for my audition now. Wish me luck."_

_"You don't need luck. You're amazing."_

_"Thanks, you don't need luck either."_

_He knew that she was talking about making friends again. As she walked out the door he sighed to himself. He would have to make more of an effort to make friends when the year started._

* * *

><p>But, even though I'd made friends at Easter, there had been so many terrible things that had happened there. Kairi immediately jumped into my thoughts. I thought of the moment when I'd found out that he betrayed us. I knew he felt guilty though, I could see something in his face that told me that he didn't want to do it. It didn't make it alright, though. But I guess I didn't completely hate him. It'd be nice to think that he's happy somewhere, as long as it's not near us.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Kairi sat down at his computer and logged onto facebook, checking his messages. He had a few from Jarod.<em>

_'Hey dude, wanna come to the park today at 1pm? We are all meeting up. Just gonna hang out. Gotta make most of the holidays before it ends.'_

_He rolled his eyes. He wondered if they he was just being polite. Did they really want him there?_

_He hadn't really been that good friends with Jarod. Well, he wasn't really good friends with anyone. He only had himself to blame for that, though._

_He heard his cat purr and he picked it up and cuddled it. It wasn't long until the doorbell rang. He sat his cat on the ground before answering the door, just to find it was a delivery man. After he signed for the package, he went back in and closed the door. Suddenly, he noticed that Mr. Puss was missing._

_"Puss?"_

_He mentally cursed, knowing that he must have ran out the door. He quickly grabbed his keys and ran outside, locking the door behind him. As he ran around, he eventually came across Mr. Puss in the park._

_"Kairi, man, you made it!" Jarod said excitedly._

_Kairi laughed to himself. Maybe it was a sign. He guessed it wouldn't hurt to make new friends. This time, he'd do it right._

* * *

><p>I was fidgeting, waiting eagerly for 2:00 to come around. I opened my cupboard, and I saw the painting of me from the night with Shouta. Ahh, what an amazing night that was. She couldn't really believe everything that had happened with Shouta and Yamada. She had never really known either of them at first, but they were two of her closest friends ever.<p>

They were also one of the sweetest couples she'd ever met. After years of suppressing their own feelings, they had finally gotten together. She sighed, if they'd only been honest and both told each other they were gay years ago, it would've been so much easier for them.

* * *

><p><em>Yamada sat on the couch, pouting. He had texted Shouta 10 minutes ago, but he hadn't gotten a text back.<em>

_Finally, his phone buzzed, 'I am a bit busy at the moment. Don't think I'll be able to come over today._

_Yamada pouted and quickly texted back, 'What are you doing?'_

_'It's a secret'_

_Yamada's curiousity peaked, but Shouta refused to tell him what it was no matter what. He was watching T.V lazily on the couch when the doorbell rang. He had no idea who it could be, but he got up and answered it anyway. When he opened it he saw Shouta standing there. He hugged Shouta tightly._

_"I missed you so much!"_

_"We went on a date yesterday…"_

_"I know, but I want to spend every minute with you!" Yamada whined._

_"And you call me the girl of the relationship," Shouta said as he rolled his eyes._

_"Don't you want to spend every minute with me, too?" Yamada asked, pouting._

_"Of course I do, idiot… Anyway, the reason I was busy today was because I was looking for an apartment…"_

_Yamada pouted again, "Don't remind me that you're going to university while I'm still in high school. We'll barely be able to see each other. Why don't you just stay at the college dorm?"_

_Shouta cleared his throat, "Well… I want to spend every moment possible with you."_

_"Yes, of course," Yamada said, a bit confused._

_"I was hoping that you'd… You'd move in with me…" Shouta said, nervously. He quickly turned away from Yamada, not wanting to see his face. After all, they'd only been dating for a few months. This was probably his most stupid idea ever._

_He was very surprised when he heard the words "Of course" muttered from behind him and someone hug him._

_"You know I love you so much. You didn't have to be that nervous," Yamada told him._

_"But we've only been dating a few months… I thought you'd freak out."_

_"I've loved you for years, though."_

_Shouta smiled, "Thanks… Anyway, do you want to go see the apartment?"_

_Yamada's eyes lit up, "YES!"_

_About 30 minutes later they arrived at the apartment and Shouta let him in._

_"I'll give you a tour," Shouta told him, as he showed him through the apartment._

_"This is amazing," Yamada told him._

_"This is the bedroom," Shouta said and Yamada quickly frowned._

_"Wait… **the **bedroom."_

_Shouta inhaled deeply, "Woops. Meant to let that slip later on..."_

_"There's only one bedroom?" Yamada asked._

_"Yes. I'm sorry… The two bedroom ones were too expensive."_

_Yamada frowned, and Shouta hugged him._

_"I'm so sorry… You don't have to move in if it's a problem."_

_"What? You think I mind sharing a bed with you?"_

_"What… you don't?" Shouta asked._

_"Of course not, idiot. I'm just worried about…"_

_"About what?" Shouta asked._

_"I mean…"_

_Shouta just raised an eyebrow._

_"Well, you know… You wanted to wait, so I'm worried about how I'm going to… Umm, control myself."_

_Shouta just laughed, "That's what it was? You'll be too horny sleeping next to me. Not being able to do anything."_

_Yamada frowned, "You little tease."_

_Shouta let out a hum noise, before asking a question, "Am I still considered a tease if I give you what you want?"_

_Yamada's eyebrows rose and his voice hitched, "W-what…?"_

_"The only reason I wanted to wait is because I didn't want to rush things, and cause us to break up. I love you so much, Yamada."_

_"I… w-what?"_

_"I want to sleep with you."_

_Yamada was speechless and stunned, and Shouta moved closer and kissed him._

_"I love you," Shouta told him again, "Say something please."_

_Yamada exploded, "Oh my god, I love you so much. I… god, I can't even explain it. You don't have to just do this for me, you know."_

_Shouta rolled his eyes, "I'm not only doing it for you. I've wanted to sleep with you for so long. I just have more self-control than you."_

_Yamada smiled, "I guess that's true. You're sure then?"_

_"Yes, I'm sure. You're the one being the tease now, stop delaying so much."_

_Yamada smiled before kissing Shouta deeply. Their lips moved against each other softly for a while before they pulled away. After taking a breath Shouta moved in and captured Yamada's lips again, moving faster this time. His hands went to Yamada's chest, and moved down to his jeans. He unbuttoned the top button._

_"God, you're so hot…" Shouta said._

_Yamada smiled, "I- I think we need to go to the bedroom now."_

_"Yes, please," Shouta said._

_Yamada kissed him again and while they were kissing they walked into the bedroom. Yamada kicked the door shut behind them, and it closed with a slam._

* * *

><p>I glanced at the time. 1:45. Only 15 more minutes until Ikuto would be coming and we'd be going on our date. I thought of the first time I met Ikuto; that fateful day in the library. Who would have thought that ¾ of a year later we'd be dating? Not that it had been an easy path. I'd dated both Tadase and Kukai before I eventually started dating Ikuto. I remembered the pain when I broke up with Tadase, but it'd been the best for both of us.<p>

If I'd known that Tadase was in love with Utau all along, I never would've dated him anyway. Those two were the sweetest thing ever, though. They'd both be in love since they were babies, yet with everything that happened between their families they had never been able to admit their love for each other. It was almost like a modern day Romeo and Juliet. I knew that they'd always be together. Nothing could break apart a love like that.

* * *

><p><em>Utau heard a knock on her door and she sprung up and opened it to see Tadase standing there.<em>

_"Hi," he offered._

_"Hi. I didn't know you were coming today."_

_"Well, I was bored. Thought I may as well."_

_"You want to watch some T.V with me?" She asked._

_"Sure," he smiled._

_"TADASEE!" he heard someone call from a different room. Ikuto rounded the corner, looking like an absolute mess. His hair wasn't done and his clothes were disheveled_

_"Man, what the hell is wrong with you?" Tadase asked bluntly.  
><em>

_"Oh god, please don't ask," Utau groaned.  
><em>

_"I have no idea what the hell I'm doing," Ikuto whined.  
><em>

_"What's going on?"  
><em>

_"He's going on a date with Amu," Utau told him, "And being a whiny bitch about it."  
><em>

_"Well, I mean it's our first **real** date. Since we got together while we were a part of Easter and all, we didn't have much time to date. I don't even know what to wear."  
><em>

_Tadase mock gasped, "The great fashionista Ikuto doesn't know what to wear? Maybe 2012 really is the end of the world!"  
><em>

_"Shut up," Ikuto grumbled and Utau burst out laughing.  
><em>

_The two of them cuddled up on the couch and focused their attention on the T.V.  
><em>

_"You've got to help me!" Ikuto whined again.  
><em>

_Tadase sighed, "Okay, I'll just tell you one thing. You just gotta be yourself, bro. She likes it when you be yourself. That's how you stole her away from me, so meh."  
><em>

_Ikuto's eyes narrowed, "I didn't __her away. You two broke up long before I started dating her."  
><em>

_"Mmhmm. And who broke us up?" Tadase asked, smirking.  
><em>

_"What? Well... I mean..." Ikuto started spluttering.  
><em>

_Utau started laughing again and cuddled closer to Tadase, "Now you're just being mean, Tadase."  
><em>

_Tadase laughed too, "I'm just joking. Me and Amu never would have worked out anyway. She was still hung up on Kukai and I was still in love with Utau."  
><em>

_"You bastard."  
><em>

_"But my advice stands. Be yourself."  
><em>

_"Thanks, Tadase," Ikuto told him.  
><em>

_"Well... maybe not too much like yourself, you're a bit of an asshole," Utau said slyly.  
><em>

_Ikuto glared at her, "You two were never like this when you were little."  
><em>

_"Oh god, don't bring that up," Tadase and Utau both groaned.  
><em>

_"You both used to fight over me. Who would get to sleep in my bed, who would get to walk next to me."  
><em>

_"Shut up!" They both shouted with red faces. Ikuto smirked and began walking back into his room to get ready.  
><em>

_"That's my revenge."  
><em>

_Utau and Tadase both looked at each other, then slowly looked at the T.V.  
><em>

_"Now that he's gone, we can actually relax," Utau said.  
><em>

_"Yep," Tadase told her as he gave her a quick peck on the lips.  
><em>

_"What was that for?" Utau asked.  
><em>

_"Nothing in particular. I just love you."  
><em>

_"Thanks. I love you too."  
><em>

_"THIS STORY IS ONLY RATED T, YOU TWO," Ikuto shouted from the other room.  
><em>

_They both rolled their eyes and Utau cuddled closer to Tadase on the lounge._

* * *

><p>I once again glanced at the time. 1:53. It wasn't long now, and I was getting more and more nervous. I looked through my wardrobe again, and I saw my old purse sitting on the floor. Curiously, I picked it up and opened it. My eyes transfixed on one point in the purse; the picture that had been slipped into the slot. I felt a deep feeling of sadness as I stared at the picture Kukai and I had taken on our first date. I wonder what would have been different had Kukai not gone to Canberra. I would safely say that probably everyone I knew would have completely different lives. I wonder if Kukai and I would still be together.<p>

Was it fate that Kukai went to Canberra? I don't believe in God, but I do believe that there's no way fate could be so cruel. Had he never gone to Canberra he never would have been kidnapped by Easter. The emotional torture he went through... There's no way something like that was supposed to happen. And then, to finally be rescued and find that everyone around him had changed. We all moved on with our life. None of us had any idea what he was going through, while we all moved on.

He was distancing himself from us now. We could all tell, we knew it was happening, but we didn't know how to stop it at all. He insisted that his therapy sessions were going fine, but he didn't seem to be getting better at all. I felt tears welling up in my eyes just thinking about it, looking down at that photo.

We were both so happy. I remember before our first 'date,' I was freaking out about what to wear. I was so in love with him that I freaked out about what to wear, even though it wasn't a real date. He told me he was freaking out about what to wear as well. Now, just hours ago I had freaked out about what to wear with Ikuto.

But, for Kukai I wasn't sure if he'd ever freak out about what to wear again. The tears that had been building in my eyes now threatened to spill out. I blinked a few times, as if that would somehow turn back time. As if that could make the reason for my tears disappear. Suddenly, I heard the bell and I glanced at the time. It was 2:00 already. Ikuto would be waiting at the door, while I was sitting here bawling my eyes out.

I quickly jumped up and glanced in the mirror. There was nothing I could do to hide the redness of my eyes. I just had to hope that Ikuto wouldn't notice. I ran over to the door and opened it.

"Hi," I told him shyly.

He hugged me quickly, "What's wrong?"

"Wh-what do you mean?" I stuttered.

"You've been crying."

"I can never hide anything from you..." I said quietly, not knowing whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, "You better come inside first."

We sat down and I began trying to think of how to start.

"Amu... you can tell me anything."

I took a deep breath as I began, "Well... I was pretty nervous while I was waiting for you. I was thinking about a lot of things. Everyone who's been my friend, who's helped me get to where I am."

I paused and he hugged me, "Keep going."

"And I thought of Kukai, and everything he's gone through... And now he's distancing himself from us. And, you know. We only have 1 year of school left. After that, what's going to happen? I know that we'll be able to stay close to most of them. But what about him? If he's distancing himself now, as soon as it's over he's going to leave ASAP. And then what? He'll put up a facade? He'll push everyone away because he's afraid to be hurt again. I know how that feels."

Ikuto hugged me and bought my head to his chest, "Let's forget about our date."

"What?" I asked slowly.

"Let's go visit Kukai instead," He told me, "If he's going to try and push us away, all we have to do is not let him."

I nodded, and hugged him closer, "I'm sorry..."

"You don't have anything to apologize for. You are one of the most amazing people I've ever known."

Ikuto unwrapped his arms from around me and bought one of his hands into mine. We walked out of my dorm and I locked up, and then we walked hand in hand to Kukai's dorm. Ikuto knocked on the door and when Kukai opened it and saw us two his expression dropped.

"Hi," I said slowly.

"Hi," he replied, "What are you two doing here?"

"We just wanted to say hello, and talk for a while," Ikuto told him.

He shrugged, "Come in then, I guess."

He opened the door fully and turned around and walked towards the couches. As I followed him, I couldn't help but feel as though it was like I was talking to a totally different person to the one I knew. The one I had dated. The one that I had loved.

We all sat down on the couches, and none of us spoke for a few moments. I broke the silence by asking, "How's your therapy been going?"

"Good," he grunted, seemingly reluctant to talk about it. The awkward silence came back. Why was it so hard to talk to him now? It never used to be like this.

"I..." I started, not really knowing what I was going to say. I had so much I wanted to ask him, but none of it would come out.

Ikuto reached his hand down and wrapped it around mine, gripping me tightly to let me know it was okay. I took a deep breath before I continued.

"Why have you been distancing yourself from us?"

He looked shocked that I had asked so bluntly. To be honest, I was a bit shocked at myself too. But I knew that if I just left things as they were, nothing would be resolved.

He thought for a moment, and then scoffed, "I don't even know how to answer that."

"Just tell me honestly."

Ikuto stood up, "Do you want me to wait outside?"

Kukai nodded, "That'd be good, thanks."

Ikuto gave me a look before he left. That one look told me so much. It told me how much he loved me. It told me how much he trusted me. It told me how much he believed in me. It told me how amazing I was, and that he would be right outside the door if I needed him. That one look made me feel like one of the most loved people in the world.

Kukai took a deep breath before he began, "I don't know how to act around you anymore."

"Why?" I asked, feeling all the emotions that had made me almost cry earlier come crashing back into me. I felt as though I could cry any minute.

"Because I still love you. I loved you the whole time."

I bit my lip as I heard that and cold tears began rolling down my cheek.

"I loved you so much, even after you were gone," I replied, "I waited for so long for replies to my messages."

I looked at his face and I saw that he, too, was welling up.

"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU WAIT FOR ME?" he screamed, and his tears spilled down from his eyes and rolled down his cheek, "The whole time I was trapped, do you wanna know what I was thinking? I was thinking about you. That was the one thought that even made me **survive** that hellhole. I thought about every single thing we had done together, and the lives we could live when I got out."

"What did you expect me to think?!" I screamed back. I wasn't sure if I was screaming out of depression, guilt or anger, "I texted you every day and you didn't reply. How was I supposed to know that you had been kidnapped."

"I hoped that you would trust me! I hoped that you would love me as much as I loved you!"

"I did love you..." I didn't even try to stop my tears anymore. They were flowing down my cheeks, as my eyes became blurrier.

"Then why didn't you wait?" He asked again. There was no anger in his voice anymore, only pain. It was as if all the pain he had gone through the past year was put into that one sentence. Just hearing it made my heart sting.

"I didn't know how long I would have to wait. I couldn't wait forever. I needed to **live**."

"I can't talk to you anymore," Kukai told me.

My whole body froze and I went stiff, "What do you mean?"

"My therapy is a failure!" Kukai screamed at her again, "She keeps telling me I'll get better, but I never do! I don't even know what to think anymore. And then, every time I look at you, I just remind myself of the pain I've been through."

"That's why you've been distancing from us?" I asked him.

He nodded, and looked away.

A few sobs came out involuntarily, and after that I couldn't stop them. I continued sobbing, and I tried to force myself further into the couch.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." I cried out, "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

He looked at me through his tear-stained eyes, "I... I'm sorry too. I wish we could go back in time..."

I nodded, "Why did this all have to happen to us?"

"I don't know... I don't know..."

I stood up slowly, and looked at him, "Are you going to go to school here still?"

He shook his head, "No... the police found out I have a distantly related cousin alive in Melbourne. I'm gonna go and live with him..."

I let out another sob, and I couldn't help but think this was all my fault.

"I need to get away from here... Everything reminds me of it..." Kukai said quietly.

I walked over to the couch he was sitting on and hugged him tightly, "I promise you'll get better. One day."

He didn't say anything back. I took a step backwards from him and I looked at him again for what may be my last time ever. The boy I had fallen in love with. He was the one that made me actually live my life, and yet I could do nothing for him now that he was in the same situation. It was like some sad kind of irony.

"I'm just sorry that I'm not the one that will help you get better," I told him, tears still flowing down my cheeks.

He nodded, "I... I don't know if I'll ever see you again."

I nodded too, "I know... I understand. All I want you to do is to promise me that if we ever do see each other again, you'll be married to some nice girl, maybe have kids?"

He sobbed and bought his knees to his chest, "I... I want kids some day."

"**Promise me**," I demanded.

He sobbed again, "I... I don't know if-"

"**Promise me.**"

He nodded slowly, "I promise. I promise."

And with that, I wiped my eyes and turned around. I began walking away from him. I could leave in peace now, because I knew that he would get better one day. Because Kukai would never go back on a promise.

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><p>I opened the door and Ikuto hugged me straight away. He picked me up and carried me back to my own dorm, where we both lay in my bed. He hugged me the whole time while I continue to sob into his chest. He rubbed my back soothingly as he told me, "It's okay, I love you. I love you. Shh, I love you."<p>

To be honest, I didn't know if Ikuto and I would be together forever. We weren't that weirdly-cute couple like Rima and Nagihiko were. We weren't straight out of a fairytale like Shouta and Yamada, and we hadn't been in love since we were babies like Utau and Tadase.

I continued to sob into his chest, and he kept telling me that he loved me. I didn't know if we'd be together forever, but I did know one thing. With him, I never needed a Facade.

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><p><strong>THE END!<strong>

**-hides behind a barrier to avoid the incoming bullets-  
><strong>

**I'M SORRY FOR THE ENDING~ WOW, THAT WAS SO DEPRESSING. Please review and tell me that I wasn't the only one that cried. :'(  
><strong>

**I'm literally bawling my eyes out right now, even though I was the one that wrote it, and I knew that it was coming.  
><strong>

**I think this may just be the very definition of a bittersweet ending. :(  
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**I'm sorry for all the drama with the lost chapters, but that's life unfortunately. I want to thank you all for following Facades. No matter whether you have been reading from the start, whether you subscribed to this story on the first day or whether you only started reading it a few days ago. You are all what made me finish this, so I want to thank all of you.**

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><p><strong>A lot of people have been asking me what I plan on doing next, and I wasn't sure at first. However, after writing this I thought about it for a bit and I realized that Yamada and Shouta were actually my favourite characters. I never even intended for them to be main characters, but I just loved them so much.<br>**

**Which is why my next story is going to be a slash (malexmale) story! Also, I think that another reason I loved Yamada and Shouta so much is that in the anime they are only minor characters, so I was free to flesh out the characters how I wanted to mostly.**

**So, my next story is not going to be a fanfiction, it is going to be an original fiction and will be posted on my Fictionpress account. The link to my fictionpress account is on my profile.  
><strong>

**For anyone interested, it is titled Love By The Half-Dozen.  
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**Summary: When I was young my mother always told me not to go home with strange men. Somehow, I doubt she was thinking about drunken gay one night stands. Nevertheless, I wish I'd listened to her. Maybe then I wouldn't have woken up with five new husbands. Well, they say that love is better by the half-dozen right? Or was that eggs?**

**Yes, you read that right, it is not only a slash story, but it is also a polygamy story! I understand that this is not everyone's cup of tea, so I fully understand if you don't want to read it. If you are interested in reading it, just subscribe to my fictionpress account and it'll alert you when I post the first chapter.  
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**And if you do read it, make sure you review and tell me that you've come from my fanfiction account. :)**

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><p><em>Well, for now I will be going. Thank you all so much. I love you~<em>


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